Book Review: The Little French Bistro by Nina George

Marianne, stuck in a loveless marriage, decides she wants to end her life. Fate has another plan. She survives her jump from the Pont Neuf and into the River Seine.

Like life. It comes, and when it’s time is up, it goes. Like happiness. Everything has its own time. From The Little French Bistro

From there and to flee from her unhappiness, she travels to Kerdruc in Brittany. While there, she meets a delightful set of unique characters. With so many characters, I was somewhat lost in this story. But, as Marianne settled into her new home, I found comfort as well. The characters, such as Sidonie, Genevieve, Paul, Yann encourage Marianne to grow and reflect on her own unhappy life. With that said, many characters are not fully explained. We learn of her eccentric friends but I never really care for one or revile another. They are not fully developed.

If you enjoy romantic comedies, are a foodie, and/or a traveler, then this book will keep you entertained. Pull up a chair and pour a glass of wine. Savor.

Book Review: The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

In her beautiful and lyrical debut novel, Pan walks us through her young protagonist’s life. Young Leigh’s mother committed suicide while Leigh was experiencing her first kiss. This is her story. The process for dealing with that loss.

If I should see a single bird. -Emily Dickinson

Then, she begins to have visions of a bird. Is it the spirit of her mother? Or Is it just a bird? In hopes of finding the answer, she travels to Taiwan. She must meet her grandparents. Maybe her mother’s homeland will answer her questions. Why did her mother commit suicide? Was her mother lonely? Did her mother miss home? Why did she not communicate with her parents?

Pan writes beautiful, lyrical sentences which grasp with the struggle of being human. Thought-provoking sentences such as “ Funny how when you can’t sleep the brain turns itself inside out, becomes a desperate and hungering thing.”

The allusion to specific colors does seem somewhat useless. And switches between reality and the supernatural can be confusing. But, readers will enjoy the connection to love, history, family, culture. And listen to Pan’s own words, “Once you figure out what matters, you’ll figure out how to be brave.”

Book Review: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

After branching out from the historical fiction, I stumbled back into a page turner – The Alice Network.

“Hope was such a painful thing, far more painful than rage.” From The Alice Network

It’s 1947. Europe is rebuilding after two fierce wars. Young Charlotte aka “Charlie”, pregnant after a whirlwind year at school, grieves over her brother’s death and the disappearance of her childhood friend. Her family, ready to move on from this pregnancy embarrassment, send her to Switzerland for an abortion. However, she has other plans. In hopes of finding her childhood friend, she packed a name. As she gains the independence and searches for her friend, we are introduced to two other characters. With their own pain and past indiscretions, can they find the courage to help her?

Quinn’s prose moves quickly and leaves the reader enthralled for the next event. With deftly woven characters, both evil and good, we root for them to find answers to their long awaited questions and ultimately find happiness.

Book Review: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Roy and Celestial are two young black professionals who find themselves in love. Roy, who grew up in Louisiana, comes from a hard scrabble background. Celestial, meanwhile, has lived a life of more convenient means. After meeting in college, their paths cross again. And that’s where the story begins to unravel. Less than two years after marrying, Roy is falsely accused of rape. He’s sentenced to 12 years. But is able to get out after 5.

Celestial tries to maintain the marriage but finds them growing apart. And in that time, she begins a relationship with her childhood friend. Living next door to one another, they didn’t connect. But, as adults, their feelings have changed.

“Much of life is timing and circumstance, I see that now.” From An American Marriage

Jones walks us through the dissolution of Roy and celestial’s marriage. And the subsequent issues of a man falsely accused. How will he reclaim and rebuild his life? Read this book and see the human spirit’s ability to overcome almost any circumstance.

Book Review: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

When I discovered this book, and subsequently heard John Green speak about this latest novel, I was certain it would appeal to me. He suffers from anxiety and had difficulty working through his latest incarnation of panic attacks. This book was the outcome.

Anxiety plays a large role in the thoughts of his main character, Aza Holmes. Aza and her friend Daisy plan on solving the disappearance of a local businessman. There’s only one problem-Aza’s anxiety.

“The thing about a spiral is, if you follow it inward, it never actually ends. It just keeps tightening, infinitely.”

In the midst of her spiraling thoughts, she reconnects with a friend, Davis, the son of the missing businessman. Her bright and fierce friend Daisy maintains a steady presence, as does her mother, and help Aza as she struggles with growing stress and anxiety. So, in solving the mystery, she finds herself.

With elegant interpretations of her thoughts, he compels his reader to see her mind and all its anxious mess. He reveals the toll her anxiety places on those surrounding her as well. A delightful young adult novel that will entertain a variety of readers.

Nonfiction Book Review / Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

Who would have thought it? A book about salt? What? Yes. A book about the history of salt titled, guess this…Salt: a world history, proves quite an interesting read. 

Even to this day, we all need salt to survive. Well, think about a time when it was also used as currency much like spices on the Silk Road. So, is it grabbing you yet? Don’t worry. Salt was used as a preservative especially for meats and fish which could spoil on long journeys. When the Pope decided Catholics could only eat fish on Holy days and Friday, well, salt was there to save the day. 

In the book, Kurlansky even quotes de Gaulle who said, “nobody can easily bring together a nation that has 265 kinds of cheese.” Isn’t that the truth. Who wants to deal with stinky cheese? Or who has the stinkiest cheese? Eek. 

Before modern refrigeration, nations depended on salt and it continues to reveal its major economic impact throughout history. Other experimenters learned to use salt and its derivatives for new inventions and expanding into new industries. In this book, Kurlansky provides history and cultural antidotes as well as recipes. 

Nonfiction science book review: Stiff by Mary Roach

I’m extremely squeamish but was drawn to Stiff by Mary Roach. In her introduction she compares being dead to being on a cruise. Since I’ve never been on a cruise maybe that’s why her book seemed so compelling. She is considering giving her body to science. Ok…maybe don’t think about that.

But, really…this book is a hilarious exploration of a problem we all will face. Some will decide to donate their bodies, others will prefer burial or cremation. By reading this book, you may decide to alter your after life plans. Or maybe not. After reading the chapter on dissection or even crash test cadavers, you may decide that donating your body is not for you. Maybe you’d rather have your body used in ballistics testing. Who knows? Read Mary Roach’s book and you may find the answer.

Intuitive searching and sharing with BrowZine

BrowZine, a tablet application, instantly uploads online journals subscribed to by various university libraries. Then, you can customize it to your interests. By using BrowZine, it’s possible to browse new journal issues in one application, read new articles on your tablet or phone, email in one step, download and save them to your tablet for offline reading, and send them to Refworks , Zotero , or Mendeley. The result is an easy and familiar way to browse, read and monitor scholarly journals across disciplines.

According to Thirdiron, the developer of the application, BrowZine consolidates multiple databases of journals into an intuitive newsstand. It’s very similar to your standard newsstand on Apple and android devices. But, instead of popular magazines, you find scholarly journals, making a visually pleasing search.

If you find it frustrating to keep up with the latest trends, BrowZine will soon provide push notifications. No more using various platforms that send emails to contact you about new research. And just like your other electronic content, libraries provide it via your existing authentication protocols, so there’s no extra setup required for BrowZine to support your authentication.

The BrowZine team consists of library and technology experts who are dedicated to bringing emerging technologies to libraries.

Adaptability is the key to a library’s future

In a recent article from The Guardian “Why Public Libraries are Glamming Up”, Ken Worpole discusses why budget cuts aren’t all bad news for libraries. Recently, public libraries have seen an upswing in reinvention.  With the economy spewing out a record number of employees, many are looking to further their education.  The library fits the profile with its quiet place to study and Internet access.

According to Worpole, 50% of Europeans live in single person households.  During the past few decades, they have made the library a “home away from home”. This idea reached the United States in the 1990s and has continued to expand.

Many cities spent their funds on large projects – Bilboa in Spain and the Millenium Dome in London – to enhance a cityscape; only to fail.  So, Worpole states,

“Having overseen the costly failure of iconic museum and gallery projects – ostensibly built to put cities on the map – politicians realised they got more bang for their buck if they spent money on a state – of – the- art  library.”

Because they are free to use, libraries do not have the same encumbrances as other buildings.

How are they making other changes?  Gone is a library staff waiting for patrons to check out a book.  By spending “…more time with library users, organizing storytelling sessions, book signings and reading circles,” libraries are adapting to the needs of its users.  Along with the open door policy, the physical building has developed an open plan for browsing where “…lending and reference services are now intermixed.”

Many are not agreeable to the changes but to keep up with a changing society, the library must change as well.

Libraries as Public Spaces

Are libraries obsolete?  No so, according to a recent article from the Project for Public Spaces.  In their article “Libraries That Matter”, Cynthia Nikitin and Josh Jackson state that, “…the new generation of libraries extend their mission well beyond the storage of knowledge.”

These “next generation” libraries are taking advantage of their location – usually in the central part of a community – to become destinations.

And how are they doing this? In previous incarnations, libraries managed their collections.  Now, they are managing their “community spaces”. To do so, they incorporate ideas from “…planners, government officials, and other community leaders.”

Nikitin and Jackson give examples of these libraries that are redefining the role of the library.

Charlotte, NC – ImaginOn children’s library and theater – a cooperative effort between the Children’s Theater of Charlotte and the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenberg County shares a mission of “bringing stories to life”.

Frankfort, Indiana – Following in the footsteps of Kentucky artist Harlan Hubbard, this library has made “life a work of art”. Today, the library includes galleries, studios, and a theater.

Santa Fe Springs, CA – Looking to expand literacy and teach language skills, they provide programs and partnerships which thrill local audiences.  They also reach out to fellow institutions.

One library not mentioned in the article makes its home in Chattanooga, TN.  Its new players, known as the “young guns” have transformed the once downtrodden library.  During their tenure, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Library has created a community garden and Ms Pac-Man Arcade area; has served as venue for National Hacking Day, recent Gig Tank demonstrations, a rock concert for a local rock school, and a coding camp.

In order to survive in the digital age, it’s necessary for libraries to start fulfilling the role as placemakers.  These libraries are doing just that.