Have you ever had an inkling that a particular book would be really good, but put off reading it for a while?  When you finally got around to reading it, did you kick yourself for waiting?  I recently had that experience, but thankfully read those books I’d been putting off.

For a long time, I noticed the Cirque du Freak series by Irish writer Darren Shan (real name Darren O’Shaughnessy) coming and going at the library.  I also noticed it was popular with middle school age boys.  So popular, in fact, that I witnessed more than one of them drop his façade of cool in favor of genuine glee when the next installment of the series came in on hold for him.

That really caught my attention.  It’s well known that many boys don’t spend a lot of time reading.  Comics and graphic novels are popular, but it really takes something special to draw in the boys that might be a little bit reluctant to pick up a book.  I knew I ought to give the series a try, but just kept putting it off – horror isn’t usually my genre of choice.  However, last summer I brought the first book home and handed it to my son with a “here, you might like this…”

He then proceeded to read half of the series of twelve books in the week before school started!  Needless to say, I dove in too at his insistence – that way we could discuss the books together as we made our way through the series.  I read many books written for young children and teens, not only because it is useful in my job at the library, but because I genuinely like them.  However, I usually don’t read an entire series of books by an author.  Harry Potter is of course an exception; because once you get started on those you must read each new book.  And we also read all three books of Phillip Pullman’s Golden Compass Trilogy together – much to our chagrin, as we found the last book to be longwinded and disappointing.

The Cirque du Freak books are neither longwinded nor disappointing.  Darren Shan has created a world in his books that draws you in from the very beginning, and keeps you enthralled until the last word of the last book.  What is it, you ask, that Mr. Shan could possibly write about that might be so good?  Vampires.  He takes a fresh view of the vampire myth, and the result is the captivating Cirque du Freak series.

The tale begins when young Darren Shan and his friend Steve sneak out late one night to visit a mysterious traveling circus, the Cirque du Freak.  What they see astounds Darren, especially a man, Larten Crepsley, who performs with a large spider called Madam Octa.  Even more astonishing is the fact that Steve recognizes the performer to be an old vampire he had read about.  He tries to hide this from Darren, but Darren spies on Steve as he confronts the old vampire and begs him to help him become a vampire himself.  Mr. Crepsley declines, and Darren runs home in fright at what he has witnessed.  However, in the next few days, he becomes obsessed with owning Madam Octa, and returns to the circus to steal her.  This sets into motion a chain of events that changes the course of Darren’s life forever, with the only possible solution being that Darren become Mr. Crepsley’s apprentice – and a half-vampire.

From beginning to end, these books are full of unusual characters, from the various members of the Cirque du Freak to Desmond Tiny, the mysterious and very sinister man that appears from time to time to remind everyone that he ultimately controls the fate of the world – yet is giving them a chance to have a small bit of control over the outcome.  Darren befriends Harkat Mulds, one of the strange hooded creatures known as the Little People that accompany the circus, and the loyalty they share with one another is a strong theme throughout the books.

Darren soon learns the way of the vampires, which is very different from what the myths portray.  They do not kill when they feed, and though they are fierce fighters, they avoid disrupting humans as much as possible.  There is another race of vampires – the Vampaneze, who do harm humans when they feed.  As the tale unfolds, Darren finds that an epic battle between the two races is coming, called the War of Scars.  He also discovers that he plays a surprisingly important part in the outcome of the war, and reluctantly takes on the role of hero he seems destined for.

That is as brief a summary I can give without giving anything away – and this is one series of books that deserve not to be spoiled for future readers.  The twists and turns of plot literally kept me glued to the books, eager to find out what would happen next.  An author who can successfully maintain that sense through twelve volumes, in my mind, is truly a master at his craft.  I would think it would be difficult to end a long series such as this satisfactorily, but Mr. Shan pulled that off as well.  I truly felt completion to the tale, and though I was a bit choked up, I was also left feeling hopeful.

I would recommend this series to anyone with an interest in the myth of vampires, or as a gift for a reluctant teen reader.  One visit to Mr. Shan’s blog on his MySpace account (how better to reach your young readers?) shows that he receives a steady stream of letters from appreciative teens and parents for the work he’s done.  Even better, he accepts the compliments humbly and continues to encourage and inspire others.

For more information on the series, visit Darren Shan’s websites.

http://www.darrenshan.com/

http://www.myspace.com/therealdarrenshan

Titles in the Series

Cirque du Freak

The Vampire’s Assistant

Tunnels of Blood

Vampire Mountain

Trials of Death

The Vampire Prince

Hunters of the Dusk

Allies of the Night

Killers of the Dawn

The Lake of Souls

Lord of the Shadows

By the fifth of each month, I'm faced with the challenge of thinking of something new to write about.  Then, after deciding on my topic, I let it mull around in my head for a couple of weeks, until suddenly my deadline is nearly upon me and I find I must spit out something of interest.  So far, I think I've been pretty successful.  Even if I do tend to procrastinate, I enjoy the process and the outcome a great deal.  I love the feeling that my mind is working away to craft an interesting combination of letters and words, and when the time is right my fingers fly and everything comes together.

So what happens when I find myself busier than normal with work and life concerns, and the specter of "creativity from scratch" looms over me?  Easy.  I fall back on what I'm familiar with, to a place I know well – book reviews.  Only problem is, that requires that I actually read some books.  Fortunately, I have been rather successful at that endeavor lately, and have several to share with you.  It may seem odd that I have trouble finishing books, but working in a library sometimes creates an overload problem that leads to nothing being read at all.  I've been making an effort to change that, with decent success.  It seems that the more I read, the more I want to read, and before you know it I've finished (or at least read more than half of) several books.

At first, I thought the books I've read recently were just a hodge-podge of fiction and non-fiction, with no real thread tying them together.  Much to my surprise, as I thought about what I might have to say about these books, I realized that there is actually a strong connection between them.  They all have to do with being an outsider of some sort; characters or authors that just don't fit into society's idea of "normal."  That's not to say that we really know what "normal" is, or that there even is such a thing.  But somehow, we sense when something or somebody doesn't quite fit with the behavior of the masses, and as it turns out the experiences these folks have makes for some very interesting reading.

Deadwood, by Peter Dexter (1986)

There are certain times, places, and people in history that take on a larger than life mythical quality.  Deadwood, South Dakota, is one such place.  In the 1870's, Deadwood was one of the last bastions of true frontier anarchy – not yet part of the United States, but a destination for those seeking their fortune in gold that had been discovered in the hills that were previously set aside for the Indians.  The roughest of the rough traveled to Deadwood, and a thriving business of saloons, brothels, and gambling dens quickly sprang to life.  Many of the people in Deadwood had nowhere else to go, having been run out of more "respectable" locations.  One such pair that arrived in 1876 was William "Wild Bill" Hickock and his loyal friend Charley Utter, and trailing them was the notorious Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Canary).  The events of their next few months in Deadwood amount to a strange chapter in the history of the American West, and one that is still controversial in many ways.

I was prompted to read Dexter's Deadwood after watching the first season of the HBO series of the same name.  Although Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane were by far the most famous people that lived in Deadwood, their time there was either short (Hickock was murdered just a few months after his arrival), or sporadic (Jane came and went several times over the years).  Dexter chooses to focus his story primarily on Charley Utter, and what we find is a very loyal, sympathetic man who continually strives to follow his conscious in a town that seems not to have one of its own.  By following Utter so closely through the book, we get a glimpse into one man's life during a wild time in a wild place.  Most of the characters in Dexter's book actually existed, and there are records indicating what type of people they might have been.  However, so many fictitious accounts have intermingled with the truth that now it is difficult to tell just what the real truth might have actually been – even Wild Bill and Calamity Jane were both known to expound on the truth a bit, or at least not deny possible falsehoods about their adventures.  Nevertheless, since Deadwood and its characters have taken on mythic proportions, does it really matter any more?

Nature Noir, by Jordan Fisher Smith (2005)

Usually when we think of forest rangers, it brings to mind a romantic vision of youthful, uniformed men and women leading groups of eager tourists through beautiful parklands.  Smith shatters that vision with his account of 14 years as a law enforcement ranger along the American River in California, just outside of Sacramento.  The lands that Smith and the rest of his crew patrolled were essentially "throw away" lands, slated for inundation as soon the Auburn dam was completed.  As it stood, the dam was originally approved in the late 1950's, but due to a variety of delays it still wasn't built in 1986 when Smith started his tenure on the American River, and it still isn't built today.

Over the years, the 48-mile stretch of the American that Smith was responsible for had become home to many people living on the fringe of society.  Miners, drug dealers, and other transients found their place in the woods, and the rangers spent their time keeping the peace between the people and the forest.  In each chapter of the book, Smith recounts a particular incident in his career, including the tossing of a baby into the open window of a moving vehicle, an unsolved murder case, and the first human death by cougar in the state in decades.  As he tells his tales, he artfully weaves in the history of the ill-fated dam, information about the flora, fauna, and geology of the area, and musings on the clash of humans and nature as our lives encroach on what is left of the wild.  Despite the focus on the darker side of both nature and humanity, I found that Smith still has a sense of hope and wonder at the world around him. 

The Lost Soul Companion – a book of comfort and advice for black sheep, square pegs, struggling artists, and other free spirits, by Susan M. Brackney (2001)

I nearly missed this little gem of a book as it passed by me at the library recently.  Fortunately, I snagged it and brought it home.  It's small and short – just 150 pages – and one could easily read it in one or two sittings.  The book starts with a serious discussion of depression and suicide, as Brackney is no stranger to dark days.  Her advice – get help and don't give up, is simple, yet she shares it with such sincerity you can't but help take it to heart.  Even if you've never suffered from serious depression, her discussion of it is so candid you feel hopeful for her and others that do suffer.  Once past the most serious part of the book, Brackney presents a collection of stories and ideas that have helped her cope in a world that doesn't always seem very accepting of those of us that live on the outside edges of society.

Her advice can be summed up in a few simple ideas:

• Take care of yourself – physically, mentally, and financially
• Dream big, but accept that you may have to start small on your road to success
• Appreciate everything you have to the fullest, because you never know when it may be gone
• "Blow the stink off" when you need to, that is, take even a short trip to change your scenery and refresh yourself
• Be a playful soul, and don't be afraid to play a good prank now and then
• Find a cuddly pet

Even if you don't consider yourself to be a lost soul, there's no doubt a few pieces of wisdom here that you can apply to your own life.  If you're curious, visit the Lost Soul Companion website.

But if you are a lost soul, or even just wandering down a side road for a while on your way back to the mainstream of life, hopefully you'll find a bit of peace in one of these books.  I know I have.  Lose yourself in the stories for a while, or maybe find yourself – you never know what you may gain along the way!

Traditions.  We all have them – but is there really any tradition as fine as the end of the year list?  As we get ready to move on into the next year, it is customary to wrap up the waning year in tidy, easy to digest packages.  The human drive to compartmentalize kicks into high gear right around Thanksgiving and continues on through the end of the year, leaving us with a warm fuzzy feeling about the year.  On the other hand, maybe it's the hot buttered rum causing that fuzzy feeling…either way, I've collected a few interesting book lists for your viewing pleasure.

Quills Book Awards

The Quill Award is a new literary award offered for the first time in 2005.  As stated on the Quills Literacy Foundation website, The Quill Award is

A new book award program that pairs a populist sensibility with Hollywood-style glitz to bestow the first literary prizes reflecting the tastes of the people who matter most--readers. The Quills celebrates the best books of the year in nineteen popular categories, ranging from romance to biography to graphic novels and beyond.

Not surprisingly, the book of the year winner was the latest Harry Potter offering (I expect it will top many end of the year lists for 2005, whether it was really the best book or not).  Some of the other winners include The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Humor and Audio Book), The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore (Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror), and Peace is the Way: Bringing War and Violence to an End by Deepak Chopra (Religion/Spirituality).

Amazon Top 50 Books of 2005

Amazon.com has become one of the world's largest booksellers.  Whether you like them or not, if you're interested in book lists then it's worth visiting their website.  Not only can you see their top 50 books of 2005 (see below), you can also access thousands of lists created by customers on every topic imaginable.  Beware – if you start looking through those lists, you may lose hours of your time without realizing it!  For now, we'll stick with the top books of 2005 lists; I'll share the top ten in each list with you.  I always like to compare the "literary" lists against the sales lists, though it might be noted that books released late in the year might not top the customer's list.  Do you really think the just released The Complete Calvin and Hobbes won't be a huge seller?  Not I.  I predict it will top the charts for 2006.  I also note that the only book in either list that I've read is Harry Potter.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.

Editor's Picks

• The Year of Magical Thinking – Joan Didion
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – Jonathan Safran Foer
• Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything – Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
• Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life – Amy Krouse Rosenthal
• My Friend Leonard – James Frey
• Oh the Glory of It All – Sean Wilsey
• Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
• The History of Love: a Novel – Nicole Krauss
• The Complete Calvin and Hobbes – Bill Watterson
• The World is Flat: a Brief History of the Twenty-First Century – Thomas L. Friedman

Customer's Picks

• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Book Six) – J. K. Rowling
• YOU: the Owner's Manual : an Insider's Guide to the Body That Will Make You Healthier and Young – Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet Oz
• The World is Flat: a Brief History of the Twenty-First Century – Thomas L. Friedman
• Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything – Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
• Blink: the Power of Thinking Without Thinking – Malcom Gladwell
• 1776 – David McCulluogh
• Eldest (Inheritance, Book 2) – Christopher Paolini
• French Women Don't Get Fat: the Secret of Eating for Pleasure – Mireille Guiliano
• Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed – Jared Diamond
• On Bullshit – Harry G. Frankfurt

There's more to a book than what's written inside.  And let's be honest – we all judge books by their covers.  Do not deny it.  It seems that several people have taken book cover criticism to a new level, and their collections on the web provide many laughs and even a little insight. 

Bad Book Covers

An internet entity known only as Punk Rock Penguin has put together her (his?) collection of 70 hideous book covers – and some mighty scary titles, too.  PRP provides some snarky commentary for each title.  Just a sample:

• The Licking Valley Coon Hunter's Club
• Touch of Fancy
• Beyond the Time Barrier

Worst romance Novel Cover Contest

2002, 2003, 2004

What is it about romance novels that make them so easy to poke fun at?  Could it be the ridiculous cover art that seems to adorn the majority of them?  Each year All About Romance makes their selections for the best romance cover art and the worst.  Again, this site is full of snarky commentary to go along with the year's winners.  I can't wait for the 2005 results!

Longmire Does Romance Novels

The internet is a wonderful place for finding obscure creative and humorous talent that would have previously gone unknown to the world.  Mr. Longmire is just one of those people – and his talent for mocking romance novel covers will keep you coming back for more when you need a good laugh.  Though this isn't really a list of books you might want to read, I couldn't help but to add it here.  My favorite titles have to be The Legend of the Totally Lost Mountie and Lord of the Hissy-fit.

The 12 Dumbest Covers of American Comic Books

The 25 All Time Greatest Covers of American Comic Books

Atlas Comics of Norridge, Illinois, has compiled their selection of the best and worst comic book covers of all time.  From their introduction to the collection:

The comic book cover--along with her stylistic antecedent, the Pulp cover--is one of America's most instantly satisfying pictorial entertainments. Precisely because of their need to appeal to an unsophisticated audience, they are often shocking, lurid, exciting, powerful, grotesque or titillating. As a result they elicit an immediate response from the reader, one which eschews the intellectual reaction so often required of other visual arts.

Compiling these lists must have been quite a feat!  Most of the covers are older, from the 40's and 50's.  Publishers relied much more on the cover art to sell their comic books than they do today, and thus focused more on producing exciting artwork.  Of course, as you can see with the worst covers, they weren't always successful!

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For the last ten months, I've been sharing with you many books that I've enjoyed reading, either recently or even when I was young.  Rather than rehash the same information, I decided to get some input from my family, friends, and coworkers about the best books they read in 2005.  I asked for dislikes, too, but the consensus is most people don't finish books they don't like.  No surprise there – time is valuable!  Each of our guest reviewers provided me with their thoughts, and aside from minor editing I've left them as is.  Enjoy!

Carter, Library Public Services Associate

Memory of Running by Ron McLarty – Friendless alcoholic Smithy Ide considers himself a loser until a tragic family event prompts him to set off on an epic cross-country bicycle journey that may change his life.  You will laugh, cry, and maybe even cheer as Smithy journeys toward possible redemption.

Charlie, Currently free from the fetters of employment

Breakup by Dana Stabenow - Kate Shugak is an Alaskan Aleut.  She is the former agent of the state's District Attorney's office, but has resigned to lve in the bush near her extended family.  When spring comes to Alaska and the ice starts to break up, madness sets in.  Grizzlies, moose, neighbors and murderers all run amok and star in a rioutous romp with distinctively black overtones.

Chris, Small Business Owner

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin – when I read it, and it took me three times to get through it, I felt like I'd been hit in the face with a tree branch that nobody had managed to scrape the bark off of.  I felt something raw and visceral, believable and obscene, and for whatever reason I found that place to be home.

Lisa, Library Public Services Associate Substitute

White Trilogy by Ken Bruen – I discovered this author through a recommendation of a co-worker.  What a find this was.  Set in Galway, Ireland, Jack White is a Private Investigator who uses his unique insights and experiences to solve crimes.  The pure Irishness of the conversation in these titles is a treat, though one doesn't need a special dictionary to get through it.  The chapters are short and snappy while totally riveting.  With many twists and turns, Bruen shows why he is beloved of his fellow mystery writers such as Ian Rankin and their peers.

Marie, Library Public Services Associate

Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith – follows the exploits of a German Philology professor – need I say more?  Hilarious.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo – the story of a smaller than average mouse with extraordinary skills:  he's brave, enjoys music, and he can read!  When the princess (whom Despereaux loves) is kidnapped, Despereaux must save her.  This is a wonderful story about love, perfidy, forgiveness, and soup.

Hated:  The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve – let's just put society as it relates to women back 100 years.  There is a big difference between forgiveness and being a doormat to your man.  Drudgery.

Nolan, Middle School Student

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – This book shows our future if we don't so something about technology soon.  It's a creepy book, yet quite realistic.  The lesson is don't watch TV too much, and that books are a good thing.  I loved it!

Sydney, Web Writer

Promiscuities by Naomi Wolf - Naomi Wolf has taken an anecdotal approach to evaluating the secret history of female desire with her book, Promiscuities. Through conversation with her friends and by telling her own coming of age story Wolf reveals the winding history of female sexuality through time. The bulk of anecdotal experience is centered in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, circa 1969. However, she does cover many historical references to female sexuality and the prevailing social standards regarding women and sex. There is a lingering fear that surrounds the word "sexuality" and even more so around the world "promiscuity." I found, though I grew up more than 20 years later, most of her experiences were comparable to my own experience growing up in America. Feminism. AIDS. Media. All these things have impacted they way we look at sex. And in effect, have left huge gaps of confusion when it comes to morality and spirituality in a society where women are both lauded and debased for expressing sexuality.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Newsweek billed it as "A love story of astonishing power and delicious comedy," from the back cover of the book. It is a love story, but not in the conventional sense. It is an unrequited love story, as the theme of love unreturned surfaces time and time again through out the story. It is the story of a woman pursued from the first buds of puberty to the sour smell of old age by one man. For fifty-three years, seven months and eleven days and nights he does nothing but obsess over the woman. Marquez writes with so much detail that, while the story does move forward, it seems to trudge along. Also, the primary characters were weak, failing and somewhat despicable. However, their faults were familiar, and in seeing myself in their foibles I fell in love with them. This book was thick, descriptive, and full of nooks and crannies. It leave you feeling pushed over by the wonder and sorrow of love. "With her Florentino Ariza learned what he had already experience many times without realizing it: that one can be in love with several people at the same time, feel the same sorrow with each, and not betray any of them. Alone in the midst of the crowd on the pier, he said to himself in a flash of anger: 'My heart has more rooms than a whorehouse.'"–pg. 270

Toni Kay, Library Public Services Associate and Page Supervisor

Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham – This book is actually collection of three novellas, all tied together by the poetry of Walt Whitman.  They take place in the past, the "sort-of" present, and the future, yet each has the same set of characters.  Very different than anything I've read, and as good as The Hours, also by Cunningham.

For my part, I'd have to say the best books I read this year were Magyk, Septimus Heap Book One by Angie Sage (children's fiction), Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling (fiction), and Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer (nonfiction); each reviewed in previous month's columns.  I'm looking forward to a new year of good books and can't wait to share my finds with you.

I have returned from vacation – well rested and ready to roll.  Still busy, but is that any surprise?  I am resigned to the fact that for the time being, at least, things aren't likely to change.  I'll just have to remember to make time for reading so I have many good books to share with you.  Fortunately, we're entering the dark time of year when it's nice to stay in and cozy up with a cup of tea and a good read.

This month I've decided to cover a few different odds and ends rather than focus on one theme.  My life has been rather scattered lately, and so have my reading habits.  I've been reading fiction, non-fiction, educational graphic novels, comics, camera user guides, food packaging…you name it.  Got words on it?  I'll read it.

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Sequels – love them or hate them, it seems they've become a mainstay of the publishing industry.  How better can a best selling author continue to make zillions of dollars than riding on the coattails of their own success?  The idea behind a sequel, I suppose, is that an author can continue a story he or she has started in a previous work.  Sometimes the author plans in advance that their story will take perhaps three volumes, or seven as is the case with Harry Potter.  In other cases, I imagine the author has such astounding success with a work that he or she decides to continue on and expand the original tale.  One of the biggest problems with sequels is when you have to wait.  And wait.  And hope that nothing horrible happens to the author before the next book comes out.  Then wait some more – there's nothing more maddening than a publishing delay!  Can't those authors write faster?  Finally, the eagerly awaited book arrives in your library or on the bookstore shelves.  Will it live up to your expectations?  There's only one way to find out, and that's to dive right in and read it.

Warning – next section contains spoilers!

One of the most hyped sequels ever came out over the summer – Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, by J. K. Rowling.  Unless you live in a deep cavern or under a very large rock, you've no doubt been caught up in Harry mania just like everyone else.  Each time one of these books came out, we rushed to buy it right away and got to reading it quickly.  This time was different, however.  Could it be that Harry fatigue is setting in?  Is it possible that the whole business of Harry and his friends having adventures and then fighting Voldemort is getting just a bit old?  Well, yes, it is getting a little old, at least for me.  Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the latest installment of the Harry saga quite a bit.  I enjoyed the fact that Harry wasn't as whiny as in the fifth book, and I also found the interactions between the characters as they discovered the ups and downs of male/female relationships quite amusing.  But did she really have to kill off Dumbledore?  Snape's turn towards definite evil wasn't too much of a surprise, and it was rather dramatic.  I had rather wondered why he was working for the good, despite his intense animosity towards most in that camp.  In a way I'm glad that the final book looks as if it will have to take a different form, since Harry has such specific tasks outside of the usual school setting.  Hopefully that will make the final book in the series worth it all – though I'm sure there will be very high expectations for it.  I'll read it, and even though I'm a tad tired of it all, maybe by the time it comes out I'll feel excited for it one last time. 

No more spoilers.  You can come back now.

Back in Issue 1.4 I wrote a review of a fantastic book called Dies the Fire, by S. M. Stirling.  You may recall that in this particular book, all motorized, computerized, and some other mechanical technology (guns, in particular) is suddenly and catastrophically rendered useless in one bright flash of light.  After "the change," we follow several groups of people as they cope with such a different life and learn to take care of themselves – or perish.  I am excited to say that the sequel, The Protector's War, came out early.  I've only just read a few pages, but I can say that I read it slowly so I can savor the story.  Stirling is one of the best writers I've come across recently.  The depth of his characters and the complexity of his narrative make for a truly enjoyable read.  I'll report back when I've finished it (as I wait for the third book in the trilogy…drats).

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Sometimes when you don't have the energy or time to read a nice long book and its fifteen sequels, you might prefer something a little catchier.  The kind of book you can open to any page and learn something new, for instance.  Well have I got the books for you…

I bet you didn't know that Michael Jackson allegedly paid a witch doctor $150,000 to put a curse on Steven Spielberg and David Geffen (he was upset he hadn't been cast in the movie Hook).  Or maybe you were unaware that before 1847, people that didn't eat meat were called Pythagoreans?  Perhaps you were wondering which state has the highest number of bars per person – Wisconsin – and didn't know that Wisconsin also has the second highest number of UFO sightings per year!  If that weren't bad enough, Wisconsin has the highest binge-drinking rate, too.  Must be the cold weather.  By now you're probably asking yourself, "How can I learn such wonderful trivia, so I might shock and amaze all of my friends?"  The answer, my friend, is in one nifty book called Vital Statistics: An amazing compendium of factoids, minutiae, and random bits of wisdom, by Paul Grobman.  You'll find 337 pages of interesting information tidbits – open the book to any page and you're sure to learn something you never realized you needed to know!  I like the format of the book, with each 2-4 page spread covering a particular topic (apparitions, luck, underwear, etc.).  Though the book has no index, the topics are organized in alphabetical order for easy reference.

Another book I just found fits the bill if you're looking for a quick passage to read, especially if you're interested in conspiracy theories.  Even if you aren't, you might find 50 Things You're Not Supposed to Know by Russ Kick, to be – well, quite a kick.  This little fit-in-your-pocket book is sure to fill your mind with all kinds of enlightening information – and remember, "they" don't want you to know these things so it's best to find out all that secret information.  Here you'll learn about how work kills more people than war, the CIA commits over 100,000 serious crimes each year, and that the insurance industry wants to genetically test all policy holders.  Once you've spent a little time with this book you'll be able to converse knowledgeably with even the most hardcore of conspiracy theorists – if you haven't become one yourself!

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Over the last few days, I reread one of my favorite books, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury.  The first time I read it, just a couple of years ago, I was floored by what I thought was his foresight into today's culture.  I'm not much of a fan of television, and can see the detrimental effect it has on society.  The idea that people might have a room in their house where two, three, or if they were lucky all four walls were television screen is rather appalling to me, yet today we see televisions getting bigger and bigger.  Then there's the bit about how the people came to stop reading – the books just seemed to have more and more pictures and less and less words, and soon the people finally stopped reading and didn't care anymore.  I will admit to you, as a librarian and book lover, that has to be one of my biggest fears – that people will lose interest in reading.  I realize that this is somewhat silly, but then there is that problem of graphic novels.

I have quite a love-hate relationship with the old graphic novel.  For the sake of focus, I'm leaving comic books out of this discussion.  They live in a realm all their own, and can't really be lumped in with what I consider as graphic novels.  Each day at the library, I process vast quantities of manga books, one subset of graphic novels.  Let me share a little secret with you – I loathe them.  I've even developed a theory about them, that they are a Japanese plot to take over the United States by causing the next generation to be completely ignorant.  There really isn't much reading involved, as they only have a handful of words on each page.  The artwork in them is hideous (all those big eyes give me the creeps), and you can open almost every one of them to any page and either see somebody staring into space or slicing the guts out of somebody.  Sometimes both.  On the other hand, there are many graphic novels that I enjoy.  Ghost World, by Daniel Clowes is one that I particularly enjoyed.  I generally prefer a book that has a little more depth to it, and can't justify completely writing off all graphic novels as pure drivel.

There are now even a few non-fiction books written in the graphic novel format.  I might tend to be a bit skeptical about these, were it not for the wonderful book that was pointed out to me by my dear man.  Fallout: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the Political Science of the Atomic Bomb, by Jim Ottaviani and a number of artists, is a great telling of the story behind the development of the first nuclear weapons.  One might thinks this would be rather dull, but I found the story to be quite fascinating, especially the account of the hearings to determine if Oppenheimer's security clearance would be extended.  The book includes excerpts of letters, and a section of explanatory footnotes at then end.  The most exciting thing to me, however, is that Ottaviani has written five more books about scientists, all of which are in the graphic novel format.  Our library doesn't have the others yet, but I'm hoping we'll get them soon.  Like it or not, I think these books would be excellent for hooking some of those reluctant readers – they cover interesting topics and have great artwork!  I can't wait to read the rest of them.

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Lately I've been thinking a lot about how we modern humans live our lives, at least those of us that might be called "average" Americans.  I think we take an awful lot for granted, don't you?

Where does your food come from, for instance?  Most likely, the majority of it is shipped hundreds of miles from large corporate factories to your local grocery store.  A series of strangers has grown, harvested, prepared, packaged, transported, and stored that tasty grub especially for your dining pleasure.  Do you think their hands were clean?  Did they sneeze on your food as it whizzed past on the conveyor belt?  Exactly what were those chemicals they sprayed on there, anyhow?  These are no doubt questions you'd rather not think about.  No problem, lets move on.

Clothing.  We all wear it.  Again – where did it come from?  Whose hands sewed it together?  Sometimes I look at the racks of clothing and wonder about the people that spend every day working to manufacture the latest styles for those of us that need to have something new every season.  Do you think they have nice air-conditioned work areas, and hour lunch breaks to rest?  Can they even afford to buy the clothes they make?  Maybe, but probably not.

Almost everything we consume comes from "somewhere else."  So often, we mindlessly buy what we think we need without much thought as to its history.  What's the big deal, you ask?

I ask you – what do you know how to do?  Do you have any skills that actually contribute to your survival?  I'm not talking about surviving the commute to work every day to earn the money to buy things – that doesn't count here.  I'm talking about truly basic skills, which in my opinion have gone by the wayside in our busy high-tech lives.

There was a time, not so long ago, that a person learned a wide variety of skills as they were growing up.  Granted, girls tended to learn one set of skills and boys another, but a man and woman could come together as a nearly self-sufficient unit.  Most family needs were met at home, with occasional trades with neighbors and visits to the nearest commerce center to fill the gaps.  Each and every family member was responsible for something, even the smallest of children.

Today our lives are very different.  Rather than directly providing for ourselves and our families, we work one or more jobs to make the money needed to get by.  We race from work to the grocery store and home to the microwave – eat, sleep, then do it again.  We rely on just about everyone but ourselves to take care of us.  Nobody is really to blame for this; I imagine it just sort of…happened.

There is hope, however, for those of us that want to learn some of these skills and lessen our reliance on others.  As usual, salvation comes through the printed word.  Surprise!  This month I'd like to share with you a few catchall reference books on country living skills, as well as two magazines I'm particularly fond of.  So put on your Wellies and let's get going…

I'll start with the magazines, because they're such a great way to get a feel for a subject before diving in head first.  Just stick a toe in and see if the water is warm.

Countryside & Small Stock Journal, bi-monthly

http://www.countrysidemag.com/

Countryside is by far one of my favorite magazines.  Each issue is full of practical advice on a wide range of topics from gardening to cooking to animal husbandry.  What sets Countryside apart from other magazines, however, is that the majority of information is submitted by readers that are living the country life themselves.  Their stories are interesting, and the advice they give comes straight from experience.  The most recent issue, for instance, has a large section on preserving your harvest with tips and recipes for canning, as well as articles on goat-raising, building a chicken tractor, and alternative energy sources.  Some of the submissions are no longer than a paragraph or two, and others are a bit longer – but each helps add to the store of knowledge behind the skills needed to provide for your family.  The magazine is printed in primarily black and white on high quality newsprint paper.  Nothing pretentious from these folks, just down to earth information sharing between neighbors near and far.

Mother Earth News, bi-monthly

http://www.motherearthnews.com/

Glossy and full of color pictures, Mother Earth News is sure to appeal more to the mainstream masses that dream wistfully of moving to the country and creating a more "simple" life for themselves.  Everything in the magazine is beautiful and the people in the pictures all have a healthy glow.  That being said, the magazine is still full of useful information and resources for learning more.  As far as I'm concerned, if folks in the urban areas start reading this type of information and change some of their habits, even if they never move to the country, then this magazine is a success.

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Once you've spent a little time exploring the ideas behind self-sufficient living, it's time to wade in up to your waist and start looking at some of the BIG books on the subject.  I say BIG because either have lots of pages or are physically big (kind of cool, but kind of awkward).

The Encyclopedia of Country Living, updated Ninth Edition

Carla Emery, 2003, Sasquatch Books

Carla Emery began writing this book in 1969, and over the years it has grown into one of the most well-known resources for country living.  Checking in at 871 pages (not counting the index), the book includes information on raising plants and animals, what to do with them once you've got them, and where to go for more help.  There is even a short quiz and an achievement checklist at the end of the book!  To give you an idea of what you might find in the encyclopedia, I'll just pull some random tidbits for you.

Planning a garden for different seasons of the year

Recipes for steamed breads (puddings)

Recipe for rose and rhubarb syrup, and other things to do with rose petals

How to build fencing for your animals

Duck varieties and how they are used

Possible reasons for off flavors in milk

14 Principles for making a profit on the farm

You get the idea.  This particular issue includes over 1500 websites, email addresses, and mail-order sources.  Wow!

Country Wisdom & Know-how, Everything you need to know to live off the land

Storey Books, 2004, Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc.

I picked up a copy of this book at Costco, of all places.  I was terribly excited to find it – how could you go wrong with 8,167 USEFUL SKILLS AND STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS and 1,887 ILLUSTRATIONS, DIAGRAMS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS?  You can't.  This is the physically large book I mentioned previously, my guess is it's about 14" x 11," and  480 pages of rather small print.  Again, we find scads of information in one useful (if unwieldy) volume.  The book is broken up into six sections – animals, cooking, crafts, gardening, health and wellbeing, and home, plus appendices.  I'll share a few snippets with you again, so you can get a feel for the information covered in the book.

Plants that are poisonous to house cats

Grooming tools for your horse

29 recipes using blueberries

Making grapevine wreaths

What to do when the power fails

Using beneficial insects

Building stone walls

Tea herbs

I'm definitely looking forward to trying out some of the ideas and recipes in this book.

Back to Basics, How to learn and enjoy traditional American skills, Second Edition

Readers Digest, 1996

Back to Basics is yet another great all-around reference.  The book is split into sections just like the others – land, energy sources, raising plants and livestock, enjoying your harvest, crafts and skills, and recreation.  Each section then has several short articles, and sticking with form here are a few snippets for you.

Getting your home plans onto paper

Fireplace construction and design

Determining how much power your stream can provide

Beekeeping

Building a solar dehydrator

Hooked rugs, braided rugs

Woodworking

Old fashioned games and toys

Wilderness camping

  I would go so far as to say that this book is a bit more user friendly than the previous two mentioned (though all have good information).  The physical size, plus color photos and diagrams make for a pleasant reading experience.  The information is educational and the projects are achievable.

Hobby Farm, Living your rural dream for pleasure and profit

Carol Ekarius, 2005, BowTie Press

I just found this brand spanking new book at the library last week, and felt it worth recommending to folks who are a bit more serious about their intentions.  At first glance, the book is gorgeous, full of bright colored photographs and attractive sidebars.  Once I started looking closely at the book, I discovered it to be an excellent overview for anyone considering farming as something more than a hobby.  The author has farmed for over twenty years, nine of them commercially, and thus has an excellent insight into the machinations of running a small farm.  I especially appreciated her honesty regarding the potential pitfalls and difficulties one might face on the farm.  She covers everything from the decision to farm to farm safety to crop yields to preserving the harvest.  Although the book is a general reference, I found it to be full of very useful information.

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Although each of the books and magazines above share some of the same information, they also differ in the topics they cover.  Ultimately I would recommend each of them for your home library if you are serious about sustainable living and learning basic skills.  The wealth of knowledge that can be gained is immense, and there is so much to be learned from those that have already made the decision to live this sort of lifestyle.

Isn't this really what it's all about – basic skills that provide both sustenance and satisfaction?  Where is the satisfaction in dialing a cell phone, sitting in traffic, or standing in line at the grocery store?  Severely lacking, I dare say.  Satisfaction lies in working with your hands, and providing for yourself and loved ones.   Joy comes from creation and successful projects.  Peace comes from slowing down and getting to know yourself, your family, and the land.

I ask you now – what do you want to learn to do?  There's nobody stopping you but yourself.

Sometimes I wonder if our human culture will be able to withstand itself in the years to come.  We seem to be doing a fine job of endangering ourselves these days – as I write this it was discovered that a deadly strain of flu had been sent out to thousands of labs around the world.  We're using up resources and spitting them back out as pollution at a breakneck pace and developing more weapons capable of unthinkable destruction.  We seem to be ignoring all the signs that our lives cannot continue to go on as we are accustomed to.  Crazy perhaps, but I like to think that humanity can get their act together and take care of themselves and the earth.  However, I'm afraid the magic eight ball says, "you're kidding, right?"

Wait a minute – isn't this supposed to be a column about reading?  I imagine you're thinking this right about now.  Don't worry.  It still is.  It turns out that quite a few books have been written about the downfall of modern technological civilization, and the ways in which we humans might cope with such changes.  We'll stick with fiction this month, but I'm sure you can find plenty of non-fiction on this topic as well.  Plenty.  And I don't purport to be any sort of expert on these books, but I've read a few that I've really enjoyed and think you'll find worth your time as well.

Heck, there's even a Library of Congress subject heading for books in this genre:

Regression (Civilization) Fiction.

You might not yet find many titles under this heading; there are only five titles in my library's catalog.  Two of them deal with space colonies, which at this point I'm not considering.  I'm interested in earth – the ground we walk on, the air we breathe, and the water we drink – stories that take place in the very recent past, or the not too distant future.  Events that could happen TOMORROW.

Are you ready?

Societal collapse comes in many flavors.  It could be a devastating germ knocking out the vast majority of humans.  Or maybe a sudden natural disaster, like a meteorite, or Yellowstone undergoing a massive volcanic eruption.  What about climate change brought on by human activity – or natural events?  Too hot…too cold…wicked storms?  Then of course there is the possibility of technologies developed by humans backfiring with unintended consequences.  Such cheery thoughts.

What I appreciate most about this handful of books is the way in which they make me think about my own life.  I'm led to take a good look at my niche in the world, and consider what it would be like if some aspect was suddenly and irreversibly changed.  It's one thing if the electricity were to go off for a day or two, but forever?  I can't say that I would be completely opposed to that particular change in society, but then I tend towards the pioneer mentality.  Of course, there would be no more Bibliomancy – but at that point I imagine I'd be too busy working to sustain myself and family to notice.  Stop just a minute and envision what it would be like where you live – where would you get your food?  What kind of community do you live in?  Is it urban or rural?  What are the people like, and how would they react to a sudden catastrophe?  When it comes to survival, very different things motivate different people.  Some people come together for the common good, and others, well – you and I both know there are people looking for any opportunity to get ahead, no matter who is hurt along the way.

Are you ready?

In honor of my topic this month, I'm rereading Stephen King's The Stand.  I can't remember exactly when I first read it, but it must have been the early eighties.  Now that I'm older and more aware of the world, I am really creeped out.  To me, illness is scarier than natural disasters, or even terrorist attacks.  Death by germs – those microscopic entities that exist completely without prejudice – released by human error no less.  I'm not too far into it (it is rather long), but I'm please to report I'm finding it to be quite engaging.  Creepy, but engaging.

Dies the Fire – S. M. Stirling (2004)

Mode of collapse – mysterious white flash that instantaneously renders useless all electronics, gas powered engines, and even guns!

I loved this book – no bones about it.  I came across a book review in a library journal, and as soon as I read that it dealt with immediate loss of modern technology, I practically ran to the shelves to retrieve it (fortunately it was in and I didn't have to wait to start reading).  The story follows two main characters – ex-Marine Mike Havel, who crash lands his small plane carrying a wealthy (though mostly young and strapping) family in the mountains of Idaho, and Juniper Mackenzie, a Wiccan priestess who leads her followers to begin a farm on her land in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  As you might have guessed, the two groups eventually cross paths, and both face all sorts of difficulties as they cope with "the Change."

Collapse is sudden, complete, and leads to utter chaos within a matter of days.  Only those that are resourceful, clever, and tough rise above the rioting masses to begin life anew.  Stirling paints a picture of society that I believe is quite accurate, in the face of such total collapse.  The good people work hard to maintain a semblance of order and community, and the bad people are really bad, as they try to take advantage of the situation to gain power over others.  The desperation of impending starvation leads some to unspeakable acts, while others just sit by the side of the road and die waiting for someone to come and help them.  The horrors of the situation in bigger cities are only alluded to, but one can picture the sorry state of affairs.

Havel and Mackenzie both find themselves lifted to positions of near mythic proportion by their followers, despite their lack of desire to be on such a pedestal.  However, they both rise to the occasion, and by the end of it all seem to be comfortable as leaders in the new world.  The end of this book is not the end of the road for "Lord Bear" and "Lady Juniper" as their respective groups call them, as two more books are planned for this series.  I can't wait!  Stirling has created both engaging characters and an exciting storyline, and I highly recommend Dies the Fire.  Be ready to evaluate yourself and your own life as you read – there's nothing like a good dose of "what-if" reality.

Into the Forest – Jean Hegland (1998)

Mode of collapse – vague and unknown social deterioration.  The power goes out and never comes back on, gas tankers quit delivering gas, and eventually society crumbles due to rioting and disease.

I find this to be one the most thoughtful and disturbing books I've ever read.  The story takes place on a remote homestead in the redwood forests of northern California.  Teenage sisters Nell and Eva, homeschooled and isolated from mainstream society, cope fairly well as small changes begin to occur.  At first, the power goes off for a bit each day, though for longer and longer periods of time.  Then, the power only comes on for brief periods, until one day it never comes on at all.  Trips to town with their father bring rumors of distant chaos, but it soon becomes clear that the troubles are serious and won't be getting better.

When their father dies in a tragic accident, the sisters find themselves to be truly alone in the forest.  As their supplies dwindle, they are forced to survive off the resources at their doorstep – though they don't realize what they have until Nell reads in a book that Indians once lived off the land, and they find another book with information on edible plants.  Nell and Eva learn to survive together, and face an uncertain future as they become a part of the forest themselves.

Most frightening about this book is the very realistic way in which their society collapses – nothing sudden, just a gradual decline as bits and pieces fall apart, until nothing is left to hold it together.  Nell and Eva may be isolated from the worst of it, but they are no less affected in their drive for survival.  I've read this book multiple times, and each time I'm reminded how completely dependant we are on modern technologies like electricity and oil.  So much is wasted – so much could be saved and cherished.

Into the Forest is an excellent choice for a book group selection, and I guarantee it will inspire much thoughtful conversation.

Ill Wind – Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason (1995)

Mode of collapse – untested microbes are released on a San Francisco oil spill, but end up spreading and eating up all other petroleum-based materials.

Look around you right now – what would be gone if tiny bugs ate up all the petroleum based products in your life?  Would you be wearing any clothes, or would all that nice fleece be gone?  Nylon threads holding together your cotton underwear – gone.  Tupperware containers, computer keyboards, CDs, plastic coating on wiring – vanished.  All of it dissolved away within days.  The only things left would be metal, wood, glass, stone, and natural fibers.  Our dependency on petroleum goes far deeper than most people stop to consider.

Ill Wind begins with a disastrous oil spill in San Francisco Bay, caused by a disgruntled tanker crewman.  Perhaps not as thoughtful as the two previous books, Ill Wind is still a good read.  More of a beach book, if you will.  As society collapses from the loss of petroleum based products, a small band of scientists race to launch solar powered satellites which will then be used to begin production of alternative energy.  Our intrepid scientists battle technical difficulties and soldiers enforcing martial law (who have very different ideas about the use of the satellites).   Can they succeed, and bring about hope in the new and different times?

The interconnectedness of all we do and have becomes painfully clear in each of these books.  A disaster is like a row of dominoes, and once the first one falls the rest fall with it.  We would be well advised to remember this, but it's rather difficult in our current state of detachment from our roots in the earth.  Ultimately, the thread tying these stories together is that of hope – that despite the challenges faced, there will be people that can survive and rebuild a better society.  Let us hope that in the real world people are as resilient as those on the pages of these tales are!

This is but a tiny scratch at the surface of the books written about humanity's attempt to survive after some sort of widespread societal collapse.  Perhaps you know of a good one; I'd be happy to hear from you with your thoughts.  Drop me a line at a_murphy@subter.com.

Raise your hand if you are not, I repeat – are not – eagerly awaiting the arrival of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on July 16^th.  There, I think I see a hand way over there…no…wait…never mind.  It appears they were just stretching.  Darn near everybody is bursting with anticipation at the return of Harry Potter.  Even though there has been very little marketing for this book, we already have over 500 people in the request queue at the library.  I expect by July that number will be well over 1,000.

The arrival of a new Harry Potter book causes a certain madness in some people.  I know of a family that draws names from a hat to determine the order in which they get to read the book.  Children that barely read anything else will read the book in a sitting (hopefully with bathroom breaks) as soon as it comes out.  In our house, where I read the book aloud to my son, I refuse to read ahead to find out what happens.  In the meantime, my partner stays up all night to finish the book, and then goes crazy because he can't talk about it with us right away.

Who could have imagined that children's books could hold such sway over people of all ages, especially respectable grownups?

I could.  Admittedly, I have a soft spot in my heart for children's literature.  It started – gasp – when I was a child!  However, there was a time consisting of more years than I care to count when I didn't read any children's books at all.  But in 1994 a miraculous thing happened – I was given a free ticket back into the children's section at the library.  It's called a kid.  I went hog-wild, I did!  I spent so much time at the library, taking N. to story times, that when I had my first interview for a job there they said, "Oh, it's you!"  We checked out huge stacks of books, brought them back, then checked out more.  I still read to Nolan almost every night, and in the last ten years I have discovered that children's literature is just as good, and sometimes better, than books written for adults.

Let me share a little secret with you.  You don't have to have children or grandchildren of your own to read books that were written for children.  It's okay.  The Librarians won't look at you funny; chances are they've read those books themselves.  The truth is, there is some downright excellent literature written for children and teens.  Plenty enough to keep us all busy while we wait for Harry Potter #6, #7, and on into eternity while we hope Ms. Rowling writes even more books about Harry.

There is just one more little thing I have to tell you, and it's part of the reason I've been thinking so much about children's literature lately.  I'm applying for a position as a Children's Librarian in the branch where I currently work.  I'm embarrassed to say that last year when I interviewed for a similar position and they asked me to name some of my favorite children's books and authors, I went blank.  BLANK.  It was horrifying, and I vowed to myself it would never happen again.  Happily, this year I have a very long list fresh in my mind, and hopefully they'll soon be fresh in your mind too!

Dragons and Other Magical Musings

Cornelia Funke

German author Cornelia Funke is a relative newcomer to the radar screen of Americans, though she has written over 40 books.  The three books that I'm familiar with are very different from each other, but I've enjoyed each very much.  I hope we're treated to more of Ms. Funke's work soon!

The Thief Lord (2003)

The first of Funke's books translated into English was an instant success.  Orphaned brothers Prosper and Bo run away from their aunt and uncle, and soon find a new "family" of street urchins living in an old theatre in Venice.  Led by the mysterious Thief Lord (a young boy named Scipio), the children embark on a mission to steal the final piece of an old wooden merry-go-round for a wealthy anonymous client.  Their mission leads them to an exciting conclusion with many surprises along the way.

Inkheart (2003)

This book is the most complex and darkest of the three.  Young Meggie discovers the terrible talent her father has for reading characters out of books when he reads aloud, and in the case of her mother, reading them in to books as well.  Unfortunately the evil Capricorn, who was read from the book Inkheart, has plans to put her father's talent to ill use.  Meggie encounters many strange characters in her quest to save her father and mother from the evil clutches of Capricorn.  This book is truly a book for booklovers, and the cover art is stunning.

Dragon Rider (2004)

If I had to choose my favorite book by Ms. Funke, it would be this one.  She writes an engaging story with a memorable cast of characters both mortal and magical.  Good-hearted Firedrake, the silver dragon, Sorrel, the smart aleck brownie (who resembles an oversized cat), and orphan Ben band together to search for the Rim of Heaven – the last safe haven for dragons somewhere in the Himalayas.  Along the way, the travelers meet traitorous dwarves, Twigleg, the nervous homunculus spy sent by the evil monster Nettlebrand (who also wishes to find the Rim of Heaven), a kindly sea serpent, a flying rat, and even a few humans that help them on their way.

Christopher Paolini

Paolini began writing his first, and highly successful, book Eragon when he was only fifteen.  The first installment the Inheritance Trilogy, Eragon will be followed in August 2005 with the release of Eldest.  I have mixed feelings about Eragon.  While I enjoyed the story overall, I found it difficult to read aloud to my son.  Especially at the beginning, the sentences were short and choppy, and made for difficulty in finding a good reading cadence; the book was also long and not a quick read.  It seemed like we were reading it forever!  That said, I do recommend it to anyone interested in fantasy and dragons (a popular subject in our house).  Serious readers of fantasy will no doubt recognize Paolini's inspirations; less serious readers may be put off by the complexity of the story.  I'm looking forward to the sequel, but have already told my son I won't be reading it aloud!

Tamora Pierce

I see books by Tamora Pierce at the library all the time, but hadn't gotten around to reading any of them until quite recently.  I can tell already that I'll be reading many more, as she is a highly talented author.  She is the author of several series, including Protector of the Small, Immortals, and Song of the Lioness.

Circle of Magic Series – Sandry's Book (#1), Tris's Book (#2), Daja's Book (#3), Briar's Book (#4)

We discovered this series when I brought home some audio books for my son.  He liked them so much that I read the first book aloud to him.  I loved it as well.  He is insisting I read the two he listened to, so we can then read the last one together.  Your wish is my command, little man!  The four youngsters are brought together to Winding Circle by the mage Niko, and soon discover that their seemingly misfit ways are in fact due to intense magical powers they are endowed with.  I particularly enjoyed the banter between the children, who don't really get along at first but soon learn to work together.  Very exciting stories!  This series is followed by the Circle Opens series, which follows our hero and heroines further as they grow older.

Nature's Own World of Fantasy

Brian Jacques

Jacques has created an amazingly complex world of animals with his Redwall series, now numbering seventeen books.  I myself have only read two of them in full, Redwall and Mossflower.  The series recounts the ongoing saga of Redwall Abbey and its inhabitants, with their continual struggle against forces of evil that persist against them.  The side of good is populated with mice, rabbits, otters, squirrels, and badgers.  And you can't help but dislike the bad characters (who often fight amongst themselves as much as against the Redwallers) – rats, weasels, stoats, and the especially nasty Tsarina the wildcat.  Surprisingly brutal and a strange mix of fantasy and reality (characters must often be on the lookout for birds of prey or large fish that would just as soon eat them), these books are not for someone looking for furry loveable creatures.  I find these books are especially popular with boys.

Kenneth Oppel

Bats.  Whether you like the real thing or not, you'll enjoy Oppel's series of stories about bats, beginning with Silverwing.  Young Shade finds himself separated from his colony during migration after a harrowing encounter with owls for which he blames himself (and in which the colony's summer home is destroyed).  Tired and scared, he soon meets Marina, a brown bat with a metal band on one of her legs.  She agrees to help Shade try to find his colony, and they set off, only to find the journey both dangerous and difficult.  When they meet Goth, a large vampire bat, Shade believes he can help them find their way – yet Goth has much more sinister plans for Shade and the colony.  The story of Shade is continued in Sunwing and Firewing.

Erin Hunter

The next time you pet your fluffy house cat, imagine what the world of feral cats might be like.  Hunter has created just that world in his Warriors series, the first of which is Into the Wild.  Rusty the housecat yearns for more than his soft life as a "kittypet" offers, so when he is given the opportunity to join the group of feral cats called ThunderClan, he decides to take the risk and begins training as a warrior.  Renamed Firepaw by the clan leader, he soon learns that there is more to his survival than hunting and fighting.  The story is filled with adventure, intrigue, and mythology – and leaves us hanging at the end.  Fortunately there are five more books in the series, and I see now a new series will be starting this year.

Odds and Ends

I realize that I've just scratched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to juvenile literature.  There are three more things I'd like to share with you though, and it so happens my experience with these is through the medium of audio books.  Sometimes listening to an audio book can be just as good as or better than reading the book, especially if the reader is exceptionally talented.  Case in point -

Peter and the Starcatchers (2004)

What happens when you combine the writing talents of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson?  You get the prequel to Peter Pan, of course!  Add the reading talents of Jim Dale (reader of the Harry Potter books), and you've got several hours of top-notch entertainment.  Humorous, exciting, and very clever!  As we listened, my internal brain light bulb lit up each time I realized they had just explained something from the original story of Peter Pan.  Great fun for all ages.

Pure Dead Wicked by Debi Gliori (2002)

Absurdity abounds when the Strega-Borgia family must temporarily relocate to the local inn, Auchenlochtermuchty Arms, while roof repairs are completed on the family home.  Along with their cadre of strange pets (a dragon, a crocodile, and a yeti), the family sets up camp for what turns out to be anything but a peaceful stay at the inn.  Villains conspire to take over their home, the innkeepers turn out to have a nasty streak of their own, and son Titus' computer experiment goes horribly wrong, resulting in 500 miniature pink clones of he and his sister Pandora.  I can't remember a time when I laughed as hard as when I listened to this story.

Hank the Cowdog Series by John Erickson

Last, but definitely not the least, in my tour of children's literature is the beloved Hank the Cowdog.  If you're not familiar with Hank, I suggest you head out right away, find one of the audiotapes, and get acquainted.  Hank is the self-appointed head of ranch security, and along with his sidekick Drover, spends the majority of his time solving mysteries and saving the ranch from impending disaster.  Erickson reads the stories himself, and over the years has developed a wonderful repertoire of voices for the cast of characters – the insidious Pete the Barncat, coyotes Rip and Snort, Slim the cowboy, and the dreaded Sally May, to name just a few.  Each cassette includes two original songs as well.  Hank mangles his words, is duped by Pete again and again, and can't manage to stay out of trouble for long.  My favorite so far has to be The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado, number 25 out of now 45 Hank tales.  The burning question is – who is actually dumber – Hank or Drover?

Welcome to the maiden voyage of Bibliomancy!  I have been kindly invited to write this column for your reading pleasure.  Each month I will be sharing my thoughts on books, reading, and life from a Librarian's perspective.  I'm not sure where this journey will lead us, but I have no doubt we'll enjoy our travels together through the literary landscape.

Of course, you'll want to know a little bit about me.  Who, you ask, is this Librarianguish person?  What does she know about books?  And why should I spend my valuable time reading this column?  Let me begin…

First and foremost – I am not suffering from anguish of any sort whatsoever.  Zip. Zilch.  Nada.  I am, in fact, a rather happy soul.  The name Librarianguish is something I just made up, due to a propensity for manipulating my real name, Anne.  It started innocently – Anne-onymous, Anne-thrax, Anne-guish – you get the idea.  Then, when I began working at a library a few years ago, Librarianne was a natural choice.  Clever, aren't I?  A year ago, I started blogging and felt compelled to find an even cleverer name.  Thus, Librarianguish was born.  I suppose I could come up with a definition and give it some legitimacy.

Librarianguish – the distressed feeling one gets upon the realization that it is not humanly possible to read all books ever published, let alone merely the books in your local library; literary overload.

Hey, not too shabby!  Okay, maybe I do suffer just a little bit of this type of anguish.

I suppose I have reasonable credentials for writing a column of a literary bent.  I'm relatively well educated, with a Bachelor of Science in Geology and a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS).  It used to be that when you finished studying to be a Librarian you got an MLS, but now they give you four letters.  I would hope so, considering how much it costs!  However, that is neither here nor there.  I also have extensive experience with books.  Each day at the library, I handle hundreds of books.  I have seen and touched more books than some people can even comprehend existing – even those covered with sticky jam or cat urine.  Books, not people, though it works both ways, doesn't it?  I have also read hundreds of books in my lifetime, and started countless others.  Several years ago I worked in a small bookstore, and have spent many hours wondering how I might be paid to read books.  No luck so far, but I still hold out hope.  Writing this column for Subter.com is definitely a close second, and I look forward to flexing my reading and writing muscles in preparation for the big bucks.

I am a proud member of the book-obsessed fringe of society.

There is of course the question of you spending your valuable time reading my column.  My hopes are that you will enjoy the observations I make about the literary life, and find some new directions for your own reading from the recommendations I make.  Each month I might cover a particular genre of literature, discuss an author or two, or rave about the merits of your local public library.  I will make no apologies and be up front to you – as a Librarian, I have a strong bias towards the good old brick and mortar institution.  My list of column ideas is growing already, and the one thing I can promise you is this journey won't be monotonous!  Without further ado, I'll take my first steps…

Habitual Reading

It is very likely that no two people share quite the same reading habits.  We each like different types of books, in different quantities, and have different reading "styles."  I thought it might be fun to define a number of sub-populations within the bibliophile universe.  Perhaps you'll recognize yourself in one of the following categories.

Serial Readers

Can you imagine choosing one book and reading it from cover to cover before selecting another?  I can't, but I suppose there may be people out there that read this way.  These serial readers live extremely orderly lives.  Their homes are impeccably spotless, they eat perfectly healthy meals and wear neatly pressed clothing of a nondescript style.  They may be prone to reading the entire works of one author, in order of publication, before moving on to the next.

Genreflecters

The Genreflecter is actually a large group of readers that can be subdivided into several categories.  He or she reads every book within a specific genre, and depending on the selected genre, this could consume their entire lifetime!  Following is a smattering of specific subgroups to help you get a feel for this diverse group.

• Manga Maniac – New on the Genreflecting landscape, the Manga Maniac is generally in their teens or early twenties.  Males and females are equally prone to this habit.  When not reading manga, the Maniac spends his or her time learning to draw this complex art form.  Proof of this is the sheer number of How to Draw Manga books available to the artistically hopeful.
• Lonely Hearts Club – Romance writers rejoice!  Legions of lovelorn women are consuming romance novels faster than chocolate covered cherries!  Have they noticed the same cover model disguised as a Viking, a cowboy, an Indian, and a Scottish highlander?  As long as love conquers all and has no hair on his oiled muscle-bound chest, what does it matter?
• Heebie Jeebie Junkie – There are, in this world, people that read nothing but true crime books.  Charles Manson, Ted Bundy and their ilk are nightly companions to this group as they drift off to sleep.  Or do they?  One might think a continuous dose of the evils of humanity would have these folks sitting in a dark corner sucking their thumb and weeping.  But no, they eagerly await the next Ann Rule book with a smile on their face.

The Specialist

Specialists are those who read as much as possible on a particular subject.  They may be war buffs, regional experts, conspiracy theorists, or experts on fantastical creatures.  Specialists will read both fiction and non-fiction, and have the uncanny skill of finding every book with even a passing mention of their topic.  The latest breed of Specialists are the "Codeites" – those that study the controversies surrounding The Da Vinci Code.  Codeites are not to be confused with people that have been studying Templar history for years, long before it was trendy.

Bibliofiend

Bibliofiends are hopelessly, utterly, addicted to books.  They spend hours in libraries and bookstores, as being in the mere presence of books makes them feel more secure.  A Bibliofiend's home is full of books, both purchased and borrowed; many never read.  Their bookcases are overflowing into stacks of books on the floor.  Bibliofiends usually read several books at once, and leave many unfinished as they keep finding more "really interesting books."  The Bibliofiend is often employed somewhere in the book industry, even if it means they must have several part time jobs.  In the most extreme cases, Bibliofiends devise elaborate shelving and cataloging schemes for their personal collections, or may keep detailed records of every book they've read.  Or at least started.

I bet you can't guess to which group I belong!

Recommended Reading

Each month I'll be leaving you with a list of books I think you might enjoy.  This month I'm focusing on books that don't require reading from beginning to end.  In other words, you can open these books to any page and find some interesting tidbits of information.  Keep a few of these books on hand and you'll soon be able to converse intelligently on diverse topics, increase your vocabulary, and beat the pants off everyone in Trivial Pursuit!

The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures, 1,001 Things You Hate to Love, by Sam Stall, Lou Harry, and Julia Spalding (2004)

Pop culture from ABBA to Zima!  This gem contains entries on scads of fads, movie stars, edible delights, and much more.  You'll have a hard time putting this one down!  Includes cross references and a regional index.

The Rough Guide to Cult Movies, The Good, the Bad, and the Very Weird Indeed, Rough Guide Books (2001)

Is cinema what turns your crank?  Here you can find more information about cult movies than you ever knew you wanted to know.  Share your knowledge of such silver screen classics as You Natzy Spy! (1940), Zoltan, Hound of Dracula (1978), and The Million Eyes of Dr. Sumuru (1967), and you just might be able to get a date with that cute video store clerk.

The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock, by Ira A. Robbins (1997)

I'm not exactly sure how a book published in 1997 can claim to be a guide to the '90s.  No matter, much of the information predates 1990, so it's really like getting a bonus.  Peruse the 846 pages of entries and you're sure to learn something about your favorite artists both well known and obscure.  Maybe you'll finally be able to get a date with that cute record store clerk!  Just don't tell the video store clerk.

There's a Word for It! A Grandiloquent Guide to Life, By Charles Harrington Elster (1996)

Are you guilty of cloffining, pandiculation, or snoaching?  Do you love words?  Then this is the book for you.  Confuse your friends and enemies alike with an expansive vocabulary full of words like zoanthropy, keech, and blatherskite.  One of my all time favorite books.  Here are the definitions of the words I just used, in order:

Sitting idly by a fire

Stretching and yawning upon waking up or before going to bed

Speaking through the nose

The delusion one is an animal

A large lump of fat

An obnoxious, loudmouthed braggart

Window Seat, Reading the Landscape from the Air, by Gregory Dicum (2004)

Perhaps you'd like to impress your seatmates on that next cross-country flight as you point out nifty natural and man-made features below.  This full color book will aid in the identification of glaciers, farmlands, forests, and cities as you fly the friendly skies.

The Gallery of Regrettable Food, by James Lileks (2001)

Retro Food Fiascos, a Collection of Curious Concoctions, by Kathy Casey (2004)

Scream in terror as you view these collections of food from the past.  Turn the page if you dare to see if it could possibly get any worse.  It does!  Lileks infuses his book with sharp-witted narrative; if you can't wait to get your hands on the book, you can whet your appetitite at the Gallery of Regrettable Food website.  Casey provides us with actual recipes you can use to threaten your family when they've been naughty.  Crown Roast of Frankfurters, Fiesta Peach-Spam Loaf, and Sausage-Filled Prunes are just a few of the tasty delights you'll find here.  Excuse me, I have to go visit the ladies' room now.

The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge, a Desk Reference for the Curious Mind, by the New York Times (2004)

This book is a Librarian's dream!  Science, the Arts, Business, Law, Geography, Government, Grammar, Biographies, Medicine, Economics, and History – the list of included information goes on and on.  I recommend this 1,096-page tome for any family that is serious about knowledge and feeding the higher mind.

My list of recommendations is just a jumping-off point for anyone that likes to read books to fill their heads with facts and trivia.  There are encyclopedias and almanacs available on almost any topic you can imagine.  Just stop by the library to see what they have waiting for you.