Friday, January 30, 2015

The End of Days by Jennie Erpenbeck


Sometimes a life may be extended by a stroke of good luck or ended by a slight misstep. Did the car run through the intersection or stop just in time? Did a stranger at the restaurant know the Heimlich maneuver or not? Did a slip on the ice result in a broken wrist or a broken neck? What does fate have in store for us?

In The End of Days, Jennie Erpenbeck considers the many ways a life may end or continue for another year or more. Her heroine, unnamed until the last chapter, was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the beginning of the twentieth century. She dies five times in this compact novel.  After each death, the author considers small changes that could have allowed the infant, girl and woman to survive. Then, in the next chapter, her life goes on. In this way, the history of an ordinary life in turbulent 20th century Europe is depicted with many possibilities. And so, the surviving infant lives to become a teenage girl who suffers the deprivations brought on by World War I. The girl becomes a woman who dies in a Russian prison camp during World War II. The woman who survives dies in an accident in East Berlin, leaving behind a teenage son.  And then, ninety year old Frau Hoffmann, confined to a wheelchair and suffering from dementia, dies her final death, a death caused by old age. From death there ultimately is no escape. 

Friday, January 23, 2015

Craft Fail: When Homemade Goes Horribly Wrong by Heather Mann


In a world of pinning cute DIY craft projects on Pinterest and shopping Etsy for unique, one-of-a-kind items, we all stop to think, "Hey, I could totally make that." But thinking about and successfully executing a project are two completely different things...

In her book, Craft Fail: When Homemade Goes Horribly Wrong, Heather Mann, avid perfectionist, crafter, and blogger shares some of the most epic fails to be submitted to her "Craft Fail" titled blog. From marbled nail art that looks like a few bottles of your favorite nail polish broke open to completely gone wrong cakes, this book gives readers (including expert and novice crafters alike) comfort in knowing that not every project is going to turn out craft show worthy. 

This little book, filled with wit and pictures is a quick, hilarious read. Whether you steer clear of craft projects because you're afraid of failing or if you are constantly pinning to-do projects on Pinterest, this book is sure to give you a laugh.

Friday, January 16, 2015

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel



The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher is a collection of ten short stories by award-winning author, Hilary Mantel. Ironic observations and wry humor mark most of these stories which, for the most part, depict life in twentieth century England.  Adultery, sudden death, lingering death, class differences, the cruelty of children, cruelty to children and resentment against ruthless politicians are some of the subjects of these stories. They often lead the reader along gentle plot lines until the conclusions take unexpected darker twists. These stories are best approached cold, without a hint of what may happen, so the less said here the better. 

Check out The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher @ the library today! 

Friday, January 9, 2015

Empire by Martin Hyers and William Mebane



Martin Hyers and William Mebane traveled across the United States from 2004 to 2007, taking photographs of Americana. They photographed homes, schools, museums, zoos and businesses and the contents of these places. The result is a photographic record of the good, the bad and the ugly of American culture (plus everything in between). And if you have a bit of the Peeping Tom in you, this is the book for you. There are many exterior photographs of modest houses, apartment buildings, shops and automobiles. Interior shots include furniture, family photographs, books, computers and printers, toys, games, wallpaper, carpeting, food, hobbies and collections. Perhaps this sounds mundane but the photographer’s eye and the layout of the book make Empire by Martin Hyers and William Mebane an entertaining and informative record of modern American cultural history.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Wolf In White Van by John Darnielle


The first novel by the lead singer of the band The Mountain Goats is a strange and wonderful thing.  Clocking in at a scant 207 pages, Darnielle takes us into the mind of a man who, years earlier, had attempted to commit suicide.  The novel moves in reverse and we learn much about Sean Philips the young man from his reflections as an adult.  As teenage Sean lays recovering in the hospital, the idea for a role-playing game begins to take shape in his head.  In the game, Trace Italian, players must choose based on provided “moves” how best to attempt to make it through a post-apocalyptic world into the safety of the Trace fortress itself.  Players mail in their “moves” or decisions and Sean mails back their next options.  His relationships with the players is professional but a few become heavily invested in the game.  Sean gets to know two teen players, Lance and Carrie who play Trace Italian as a team.  Tragedy strikes and somehow Sean has charges brought against him. Sean has never met the players in person, so how can he be responsible for anything that happened to them?  The result is a book that winds in and out and back upon itself as bits of Sean’s teenage self are glimpsed in these new teens. 

Darnielle is a great writer.  Reading a novel told by an unreliable narrator can often be a frustrating task, but Darnielle makes it quite enjoyable.  This is a book that has many layers and since it is short, can easily be read again for more nuance and texture.

Check out a copy of John Darnielle’s Wolf In White Van from the library today!