Name: Chris Wiegard
Date registered: December 17, 2009
Mr. Robertson, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Richmond, has been a newspaper reporter for The Richmond Times-Dispatch, director of special projects for Virginia Commonwealth University, an adjunct professor of journalism at Randolph-Macon, and a disc jockey. But channeling Mark Twain is his favorite pursuit.
Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910), is an American legend — steamboat pilot, novelist, and the nation’s most celebrated storyteller. He always sprinkled his humorous sayings with a little vinegar. “Heaven goes by favor,” Twain said. “If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” He scolded politicians, praised the common man and found humor in nearly everything.
Please come and laugh away an afternoon with Mark Twain. Refreshments will be served, and there will be door prizes. This event is part of our annual Author Series, and is sponsored by the Hopewell/Prince George Friends of the Library and the Appomattox Regional Library System.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2012/04/mark-twain-performance-at-hopewell-library/
“The Great Big Book of Horrible Things”by Matthew White is one of the strangest books you will ever read. Taking up 528 pages and followed by lengthy appendices and notes, it attempts to catalog the worst 100 atrocities of human history.
One would think that the result would be virtually unreadable, but in fact indeed this is highly fascinating material with many surprises. Beginning with ancient China, continuing through the Roman Empire and the invasions by Genghis Khan and Napoleon, and then exploring the many invasions, genocides, and forced famines of the 20th century, White explains the complex ways in which nationalism, personal ambition, and ideologies have resulted in vast human die-offs. His matter of fact tone and occasional reliance on black humor helps the reader keep going. In the end, this should be required reading for anyone involved in international politics and humanitarian efforts. White points out that chaos in human history has often been more deadly than tyranny, and that war has always killed more civilians than soldiers.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2012/04/horrible-but-fascinating-things/
Timeless and evocative, this story pierces your mind with images. Olmstead’s portrait of Henry has depth: scarred and tormented by his war experience, but facing an even greater challenge in returning home. While this novel has an obvious appeal for male readers, I recommend it highly to any reader because of the award-level writing. It is wonderfully balanced into three sections which explore love, war, and the journey home. Will Henry overcome his trials and find a reason to live? Publication date is April 3.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2012/03/love-and-war-beautifully-explored/
It’s a good debut effort by author Chris Pavone, who captures the alienation of Americans living in a foreign land with other Americans, and cleverly combines marriage with spying in his plot. Readers be warned, however: this is not really an action thriller. It is concerned with how secrets never really go away- and it does a good job exploring that territory, with the suspense only getting resolved in the final pages. This novel will be published March 6. I Rate it a B+.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2012/02/the-expats-is-a-cool-thriller/
Esch is the narrator. Her secret is that she is pregnant too. Ward paints a delicate picture of why Esch has made her choices and how she tries to keep her secret.
Through it all, Daddy is obsessed with the hurricane that crossed Florida and is brewing up in the Gulf. Trying to get the truck fixed up, Daddy has an accident and loses a finger. He mutters about them not having enough food, not having enough water. But there is too much going on for his kids to listen to him, too much interpersonal drama. Then Katrina becomes the biggest character of all, roaring over the land, tearing down the trees, pushing water to the door, to the window, and up to the attic where they huddle for refuge.
Think of this as sort of a smaller, less ambitious “Grapes of Wrath.” Like that classic dust-bowl novel by Steinbeck, it’s about the have-nots of the world sticking together for survival in a world that doesn’t much care about them. Like most National Book Award fiction, this novel is hard hitting and gritty and told with a literary “voice.” After returning it to the Hopewell Library, I put it on the display shelf labeled “Best Books of 2011″- because I think it belongs there.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/12/salvage-the-bones-wins-national-book-award/
Christine lives an isolated life, heavily dependent on her husband Ben who is very selective about discussing her past. She forms a bond with a psychologist in secret, hoping to regain some of her memory, and part of the therapy consists of keeping a secret journal in which she tries to reconstruct her past. She reviews her journal every morning after he leaves for work. “Don’t trust Ben” is one of her messages to herself. Is Ben trying to save her from pain, or is there another motive at work? Or is it the psychologist himself who is the problem? Adding to the complexity is re-discovering her relationship with a woman who was her best friend- and the fact that she once had a son- is he still alive?
Watson is able to unfold the details of Christine’s past in a tense way. While her medical problem is frustrating and extreme, the author is able to keep the narrative endurable by granting her occasional glimpses of her strongest memories- so her case does have traces of hope. When a final plot twist kicks the suspense into high gear, we are firmly on her side! Despite the British setting, this novel would be hard to put down for most American readers, with the clever combination of memory science and who-can-I-trust suspense.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/11/amnesia-thriller-is-tense-and-creepy/
Told in a series of flashbacks, this is the story of “Mark Spitz”- a troubled young man who has lost everything he ever knew. It’s not his real name, and we never do find out much about him. It’s a bleak tale of a nation suffering from social, economic, and environmental challenges galore- and then a legion of living dead start rampaging!
There is plenty of food for thought here, but do zombie fans really want to think about life in contemporary America? For that matter, do serious literary readers want to deal with shambling ex-human hordes? Bottom line, this is a well written and thoughtful novel that does not seem to have a readership.
Next up:
Before I go to sleep by S.J. Watson might be the scariest thriller of 2011. If you are interested in a review, please use the comment box below!
Read more book reviews on Library Blogs.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/11/will-zombie-novel-have-an-audience/
Meet Donna Andrews Oct 8 at the Hopewell Library
Andrews, a resident of northern Virginia, has carved out a niche for herself in the world of mystery novels. Her “Meg Lanslow” series features a group of eccentric and memorable characters associated with the fictional Virginia “Caerphilly College.” Meg’s husband teaches at the college, which brings her into contact with a large community, in which murders happen with some regularity- usually around one per novel.
Donna’s latest novel is entitled “The Real Macaw.” It places Meg in the trying predicament of having a menagerie of assorted animals dumped on her due to the closing of an animal shelter while she attempts to take care of her own newborn twins! To top it off, the volunteer who transported all the animals to Meg’s farm turns up dead. One more thing to deal with!
Andrews’ approach to the mystery novel is to keep things light and funny, focus on characters, and to weave the murder into the tapestry seamlessly. The reader will have no sharp intakes of breath, but plenty of chuckles. Want to know how Andrews does it? Why not ask her yourself?
Donna Andrews will be speaking at the Hopewell Library at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday October 8, at the Hopewell/Prince George Friends of the Library Fall Meeting. Also bring a bag lunch and join us at 1pm for a book discussion led by Librarian Chris Wiegard before meeting Ms. Andrews.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/09/donna-andrews-has-a-solid-niche/
In this imaginative tale, a mysterious circus travels the world, performing only at night. A creative group of people set it up, but the Circus is actually operated by two people, a young man and a young woman, whose magical powers are real, not fake! The circus is therefore a venue for a deadly serious magic contest between these two people- a reality that is unknown to the audience and most of the workers. When the two magicians fall in love with each other, things get even more complex.
Morgenstern is able to maintain the atmosphere of wonder and mystery here, in a style that resembles that of a slightly less sophisticated Ray Bradbury. But again, it’s tough to mix magic and literary style. The audience may not be large for this.
Victoria Jones, age 18, is the lead character here. Victoria has just “aged out” of the foster system, and been kicked out onto the street. She struggles to survive, and to form human contacts. Her hope for a new life is based on the one person, Elizabeth, who ever loved her, a woman she has not seen in eight years.
Diffenbaugh’s plot details are not all one hundred percent convincing, but her personal knowledge in this area enables her to dig into the real emotional life of Victoria. The story has had enough emotional power to land it on the bestseller list. It is unclear if Diffenbaugh has more to write about, but this is an excellent first effort! Few indeed would be able to read this novel without experiencing strong emotion.
Harbach’s command of character, dialogue, and scene-setting is nearly perfect. The story is not really about baseball- it becomes a well designed exploration of human nature. The Art of Fielding digs into the ways in which we seek excellence in our lives, and how we “team up” to overcome the bitter chances of fate and our own flawed natures. Harbach probably earned that $600,000. It is that well written.
It encourages me to read three brand-new novels by unknown authors with such a high quality of writing. I would rate them as good, better, and best, in the order in which they were reviewed.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/09/excellent-debut-novels/
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
In the end, Patchett stops short of fully resolving the many moral and personal issues she introduces. Her excellent ability to craft characters is still there to thrill the literary reader, but there are too many plot devices. This intense voyage to one of the last places left free of the blessings and curses of modern life succeeds to a point, but leaves the reader wanting more. Grade it with a “B.”
Reserve your copy of State of Wonder today!
Permanent link to this article: http://www.arls.org/2011/06/state-of-wonder-is-good-but-not-great/