And yet more audio

I'm a fan of Bill Bryson's funny, understated writing. His two most recent books - In a Sunburned Country (2000) and A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003) - have been very popular. He has finally turned his insightful eye upon himself and penned a memoir of his middle-class, Midwest, mid-century childhood. Baby boomers, fans of nostalgia, and anyone who likes an interesting story will enjoy The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Our audio version, brand-new on the shelf, is read by the author himself.



If, for some sad reason, you are unable to get to Europe this year (or any year), but are dying to experience 'The Grand Tour' around the continent, then how about an aural voyage? Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun, takes you on a picturesque tour of Europe with A Year in the World. Close your eyes and drift along with Mayes as she takes you through Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, the British Isles, Greece and Turkey. She even dips down into Northern Africa. Vicariously encounter the sights, smells, and sounds of different cultures through her observations.



Fans of the Jack Reacher novels will be glad to know that not only do we have the latest installment of Lee Child's thrilling series on the shelves, we also have the unabridged audio version as well. Bad Luck and Trouble promises to be just as suspenseful and entertaining as the rest of the series.

Modern love?

Love, as anyone who has experienced it knows, is a messy thing. It doesn't follow a clear-cut plan, there's no script, and it doesn't occur in a vacuum. There may be varying levels of commitment, unaccepting in-laws, difficulty conceiving, financial disparities, and societal pressures. And if there's anything about your own personal romantic history that you feel is depressing or less than fulfilling, then what better way to perk yourself up than to read about people in even worse situations. Modern Love: 50 true and extraordinary tales of desire, deceit, and devotion collects essays from the popular New York Times column "Modern Love". Edited by Daniel Jones, these soul-baring tales range from funny to tragic, with some of them sure to induce a little wincing, or at least some head-shaking. How could people behave like that? Couldn't they see this coming? What were they thinking? Well, look in the mirror and think about all the wacky things you've done in the name of love. (Personally, I used to clean the bright-work on our boat when we were dating. After 13 years of marriage, I still love my husband, but please don't look at the bright-work.)

Corrections, Errata, Mea Culpa

I made a grievous error in my posting for July 2. I wrote that one of the new audiobooks on our shelves is Running With Scissors, by Augusten Burroughs. In fact, the title we have is Possible Side Effects. Same author, same life, same self-narration, but a different collection of stories. He does still cover some of his crazy adolescence, tho.

Seven for Seven

We have seven new audiobooks on the shelf for the seventh month of the year (these aren’t the only audiobooks we’re getting this month, but I liked the ‘7 for 7’ theme. I’ll post other new titles later.)

Tomb of the Golden Bird - by Elizabeth Peters. The 18th installment of the award-winning Amelia Peabody mystery series.

Hundred-dollar Baby - by Robert Parker. The 34th novel featuring Boston private investigator Spenser (does the guy have a first name?).

The Fifth Horseman - by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. Another in the "Women’s Murder Club" series. The Sixth Target is currently on our New Books shelf.

Robert Ludlum’s The Paris Option - by Robert Ludlum and Gayle Lynds. Apparently this author is so popular he begins the titles of his books with his own name. This is a “Covert-One” novel.

Freakonomics: a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything - by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. Am I the only person on the planet who hasn’t read this book?

Memory in Death and Midnight in Death - by J.D. Robb (a.k.a. Nora Roberts). Her name is mentioned in hushed tones amongst the mass-market paperback set, as the 'Queen of the $8.00 romance novel'. But she also writes gritty detective novels set in New York City in the semi-near future: 2059. (I hope to still be alive then, but maybe not living in the New York of Robb’s vision).

The Power of Art

PBS has recently been showing a fascinating series that focuses on some of the greatest artists in history. The Power of Art shines a spotlight on the careers and works of 8 famous artists, from Caravaggio’s paintings in the early 1600’s to Philip Rothko’s work in the mid-twentieth century. The library not only has the DVD set, we have the book that accompanies the series. Last night’s star was the sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini, who was a particular favorite of popes and cardinals in the early 17th-century. I’m not a complete artistic cretin, but I do need someone to point out the hallmarks of brilliant technique, the metaphors inherent in the piece, and the history of artistic developments leading up to the work in question. And the series’ creator – Simon Schama – does just that. He is a great blend of Sister Wendy (Sister Wendy’s Story of Painting, which we have on DVD) and James Burke (Connections, which we also have on DVD. This is a series that I recommend highly). His narration is full of information without being overwhelming, his delivery keeps things interesting, and he does a wonderful job of pointing out what makes a great work of art ‘great’. In Bernini’s sculpture of The Rape of Proserpine, for instance, he points out the way Pluto’s hands seem to dig into her thigh, and his hands sink into the flesh of her side. The curls of his beard swing, as she violently shoves his head to one side. If a sculptor can get a chunk of marble to appear as if it were moving at all, let alone moving violently, then that is an amazingly talented sculptor. And Schama is a very talented teacher.

New on Audio

Lies at the Altar: the truth about great marriages, by Dr. Robin Smith, looks at the way people approach their marriage vows. Regardless of what stage of the relationship you are in – engaged, unhappily married, or divorced – Smith will help you think about what your underlying expectations are for marriage, and how to express your expectations to your partner. Most importantly, she will help you understand the value of listening to your partner’s expectations.

You’ve read the book, you’ve seen the movie, now listen to the author himself recount the sometimes funny, sometimes tragic story of his adolescence. Augusten Burroughs reads his memoir Running With Scissors, treating his childhood abuse with a wry tone. He’s kind of a noir version of David Sedaris.

The bestselling team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are back with their newest story, The Book of the Dead. This is the concluding volume of a trilogy in which FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast works against the criminal plots of his own brother Diogenes. This volume in the trilogy will tie up the loose ends from the previous two stories, Dance of Death and Brimstone.

Stephen Coonts has written another fast-paced spy novel, titled The Traitor. CIA operatives Tommy Carmellini and Jake Grafton are trying to ferret out a French spy that has supposedly infiltrated Al-Queda. Does he really exist, and is he really a mole?

Great First Lines

As any author knows, a really good first line can grab a reader’s attention long enough to hook them on the story. Here are some of the more intriguing first lines from the newest books on our shelf:

"I did not expect to meet the Angel of Death while he was extricating
himself from a washing machine." – Saving Erasmus by Steven Cleaver

"When the sun dipped behind the wall of trees, we lay down and the white
night swallowed us." – Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson

"Had CC de Poitiers known she was going to be murdered she might have bought
her husband, Richard, a Christmas gift. " - A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

"The Lord giveth and most women piss it away." - The Wilde Women by Paula Wall

"I read today the account of my attempt at suicide." - Mary: a novel by Janis Cooke Newman

"The day Livia Pertini fell in love for the first time was the day the beauty contest was won by her favorite cow, Pupetta." - The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella

"Soon there will be a killing." - The Dead Place by Stephen Booth