Reader's Advisory

Two very different knitting memoirs / essays arrived this month. 

 

Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously by Adrienne Martini

Sweater Quest is a very thoughtful memoir of a woman who decides to knit a sweater by designer Alice Starmore that can only be found in an out-of-print book Tudor Roses.  The author describes this pattern as "a knitter's Mount Everest, our curse, and our compulsion."  Adrienne Martini, mother of two, knits in order to keep a grasp on her sanity.  On this journey she interview other knitters and bloggers in order to truly understand the origin of this pattern.  Martini forms relationships and gains wisdom from several knitters along the way.  She is determined not to let her life, or this sweater unravel (the two are closely intertwined).   The book is not a tutorial, and it does not contain any patterns, just process.  I found this book to be very engaging, and in the back of my mind, wonder if I dare seek out this pattern.

Home is Where the Wine Is by Laurie Perry

This memoir is told by a thirty-something woman navigating solo life in  Los Angeles while trying to better herself before turning the dreaded 40.  The author is a witty blogger who is also known as "Crazy Aunt Purl."  She has hilarious run-ins with the landscaper, travels solo on two vacations, and joins a gym.   Online dating, spray tans, giant zuchinnis, and bikini waxes are just a few of the adventures chronicled in this book.  Did I mention she has 3 cats? This is a hilarious account of trying new things, keeping a good attitude, and charging forward with your adult life.  And how does this relate to knitting?  It is mentioned in one chapter, and the book contains color photographs and patterns.  This is not a "how knitting changed my life," kind of book.  It is honest and humorous.  I finished this in one sitting recommend it to both knitters and non-knitters as a light, feel-good, laugh-out-loud read.

 

 

 

March's Fiction Book Discussion pick, A Long Long Time Ago & Essentiallly True by Brigid Pasulka is a beautifully told family history set in Poland with an ending that is worth the wait.  The story alternates between "Old Poland" and Pigeon & Anielica  and then "New Poland" and their granddaughter Beata also known as "Baba Yaga."  In Old Poland, Pigeon seeks to win over the village beauty Anielica only to have his plans thwarted by World War II.  In New Poland Beata is starting a new phase of her life and unsure as to which direction to move.  As she learns more about her family history she becomes more certain of who she is and what she wants out of life.    This novel is written by Chicago teacher Brigid Pasulka and is the 2010 winner of the Hemingway Foundation/PEN  Award.

 

This April marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission.  Adler Planetarium is offering special exhibits and programs in honor of the anniversary.  If you are looking to do something a little closer to home- check out the following books and movies from the library's collection:

• Apollo 13 feature film starring Tom Hanks
• Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 by Jim Lovell (available in book & book on cassette)
• In the Shadow of the Moon (documentary)
• Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond by Gene Kranz

 

Escape to Ireland through Irish Novels 

Fantasy:

The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas

The power of the Realms depends on its dragons. With their terrifying natures, they are ridden by the aristocracy and bred for hunting and war. But as dangerous political maneuverings threaten the complacency of the empire, a single dragon has gone missing. And even one dragon could spell disaster for the Realms…

 

  Jade Man’s Skin by Daniel Fox

In this soaring epic, Daniel Fox weaves the ancient myths and legends of feudal China into a fantasy world of brutal war and brittle passion, immortal gods and mystical creatures.

 

State of Decay by James Knapp

They call them revivors-technologically reanimated corpses-and away from the public eye they do humanity’s dirtiest work. But FBI agent Nico Wachalowski has stumbled upon a conspiracy involving revivors being custom made to kill-and a startling truth about the existence of these undead slaves.

 

Science Fiction:

Chill by Elizabeth Bear 

Sequel to Dust. The generation ship Jacob’s Ladder has barely survived cataclysms from without and within. Now, riding the shock wave of a nova blast toward an uncertain destiny, the damaged ship—the only world its inhabitants have ever known—remains a war zone. Even as Perceval, the new captain, struggles to come to terms with the traumas of her recent past, the remnants of rebellion aboard the ship still threaten the crew’s survival.

Able One by Ben Bova

When a nuclear missile launched by a rogue North Korean faction explodes in space the resulting shockwave destroys the world’s satellites, throwing global communication into chaos. Will Able One’s experimental technology be enough to prevent World War III—especially when it becomes clear that a saboteur is onboard?

 

Stephen King’s The Stand: Captain Trips 

A graphic novel adaptation of Stephen King’s apocalyptic novel, The Stand. On a secret army base in the Californian desert, something has gone horribly, terribly wrong and a virus had been unleased that will spread from person to person like wildfire, triggering a massive wave of disease and death, prefacing humanity’s last stand. The first of many volumes.

We have some great new resources in the general sciences.  These are a few of my favorites.  

Who came up with Velcro?  What does its name mean?  What about the vaccum?  Post-It Notes?  Golf Tees?  Is it true that an angry undertaker led to the push button phone?  Rick Beyer's The Greatest Science Stories Never Told answers these questions and more.  The book contains illustrations from around the world.

 

100 Most Important Science Ideas by Mark Henderson, Joanne Baker and Tony Crilly, is an overview of essential topics in Genetics, Physics, & Mathematics.  The authors use diagrams and everyday examples to eaplain scientific principles, hypotheses, and laws. 

What On Earth Evolved by Christopher Lloyd explores life on earth before and after man.  It is a compilation of biographies of species that have influenced or changed the Earth in notable ways.  Fossils, plants, sheep, humans, bugs, potatoes, dinosaurs, and many others are discussed as part of the "big picture." 

 

National Geographic's Concise History of Science & Invention is full of color photography.  It is a chronological account of science and invention.  The following eras of science are examined:  Origins of Science, Classical & Early Medieval Science, Late Medievel & Renaissance Science, Scientific Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Age of Steam, Age of Electricity, Atomic Age, Space Age, Modern World. Did I mention the photography?  It's worth taking a look!  

 

Who knew that Physics would turn up at Nascar, or apply to the super powers of superheroes? What's the science behind Krypton's explosion? How tough is Aquaman's skin under the pressure of the deep sea?  Does my dog know that she is defying some laws of physics? What is happening on the track at NASCAR?  How fast can the cars safely take the curves?  What is Kinetic Energy?  What does E=MC2 really mean?  Check out these new Physics titles!

Physics of Nascar by Diandra Leslie-Pelecky                 How to Teach Physics to Your Dog by Chad Orzel

                                                                       

 

Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios                     Instant Egghead Guide: Physics by Brian Clegg

                                                                                                 

The 2010 Edgar Awards for best Mysteries were announced in January.  Check out the list of nominees for best Mystery novel & click the link below to see all of the categories and nominees:

Best Novel

• The Missing by Tim Gautreaux
• The Odds by Kathleen George
• The Last Child by John Hart
• The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston
• Nemesis by Jo Nesbo (translated by Don Bartlett)
• A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn

Mystery Writers of America 2010 Edgar Nominees

Dick Francis, a British former jockey turned popular crime author died on February 14th, 2010.  In his early years, Francis had been a jockey for the royal family in Britain.  When he retired from racing he began writing professionally- first his autobiography The Sport of Queens and then as a racing correspondent for London's Sunday Express.  In 1962 he published the mystery novel Dead Cert  and has since published 40 more books.  His popular books include the Kit Fielding series and the Sid Halley series.  His books can be found in the Brookfield Public Library in the Mystery section.

Charlie Wilson, the Texan politician depicted in a 2007 movie, died yesterday at the age of 76.  Find out more of his story through the movie