Beyond the Best Seller

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Fall reading at New Canaan Library

Our shelves, as usual, are brimming with good reading, and we have made a lot of great new recommendations this Fall. Here are some of my favorites:
Fiction: Something Missing By Matthew Dicks is a very charming, very funny novel about a burglar with OCD tendencies who takes only items that the homeowner will not miss. A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley is a mystery set in Botswana. Since many of us have become familiar with Botswana through Alexander McCall Smith's charming series, I thought it would be good to point out the Stanley book. It is the first in a series...we have the sequel as well. Blame by Michelle Huneven is a riveting story of an alcoholic and her redemption, beautifully written. On a lighter note, Murder at Longbourn is a mystery by Tracy Kiely that is set in modern times but has many nods to Jane Austen, including part of the title.
In nonfiction we recommend two somewhat related books for those of you thinking about your personal economy: The Mom and Pop Store by Robert Spector pays homage to small business owners in America and encourages us to support them. Related is Cheap: the high price of discount culture by Ellen Ruppel Shell. The author investigates the real cost of our obsession with discounts and how our quest for low prices may be hurting us overall.
Lucky Girl by Mei-Ling Hopgood is a memoir from an American girl who was adopted from Taiwan. She actually is contacted by her birth family and goes to meet them. There have been several books like this of late but Hopgood's is the most thoughtful and well done.
I am currently reading American Passage: the history of Ellis Island by Vincent J. Cannato (listening to it, actually, I have the book on CD and it's a long one!). I am learning a lot about the history of immigration to this country and how our laws were shaped over time. The book touches on the history and philosophy behind immigration law and public health issues.
In the self-help area we recommend Facebook Me! by David Awl, for those of you trying to get up to speed and reconnect with old pals, or just keep up with your kids. And lastly we like Rabbi Harold S. Kushner's latest little gem called Conquering Fear: living boldly in an uncertain world. He is a wise and practical man and an excellent writer. We hope that you enjoy his wisdom, and all our other recommendations.

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