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May 31, 2007
June Staff Favorites
As a lead-in to the Adult Summer Reading Program, the staff has come up with their favorite books that take place 'elsewhere.' They were told it could be any country, any time and they came up with some really different choices. One of these should get you in the mood for summer reading!
The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason
--Lynn found this one especially true to life after her visit to Burma. Strange, exotic, and richly detailed.
Into Thin Air by John Krakauer
--Sally wonders why do people do this? Why are they compelled to push temselves to the absolute limit, risking life and limb? This book raises environmental questions as well as responsibility issues, along with revealing a riveting tale. If you ever wanted to know exactly what climbing Mount Everest would be like, then this is the book for you.
The Scarlatti Inheritance by Robert Ludlum
--Kim loves this thriller because it is a plausible conspiracy that takes place in Italy, Germany, and the U.S. It's about World War II, hidden treasure, good and evil - what's not to love?!
The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr
--Priscilla wasfascinated by this non-fiction book that reads like fiction. Detect along with the graduate student who traces the long-lost Caravaggio through the centuries and across Europe.
An Imperfect Lens by Anne Roiphe
--Ruth recommends this compelling story of Alexandria Egypt during the cholera epidemic in the mid 1800's. She says it achieves the difficult marriage of a serious medical/social history with a love story.
A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell
--This historical fiction is based on a little known story of a group of Italian citizens that sheltered more than 40,000 Jews during WWII. Lois found it both heart wrenching and inspirational, with the especially well-developed characters fascinating, complicated and compelling - each with a different story and background.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
--This gem is set in Paris in the 1920’s. Louise is fascinated by it because you can eat in the same cafes that Hemingway frequented, including Clos de Lilas. The book is a memoir about his time in Paris, while he was writing The Sun Also Rises. Louise read A Moveable Feast, and then The Sun Also Rises over the course of one summer. She says you can first trace Hemingway’s experiences in Paris and then in Spain, all in Papa's deeply evocative prose.
Posted by SallyT at May 31, 2007 03:55 PM