The Horror Readers’ Advisory : The Librarian’s Guide to Vampires, Killer Tomatoes, and Haunted Houses

This slender volume by Becky S. Spratford and Tammy H. Clausen is a great overview for librarians on the horror genre. Often disdained by librarians as being "trashy," Spratford and Clausen do a good job of picking out the qualities of these novels that appeal to readers without any trash-talk. They've also put together a great starter list for each sub-genre of horror - including old stand-bys, and throwing in a few that might be new to most readers.

A terrific source for librarians, non-librarians can use it to get some good ideas of where to go next for the next big thrill (of course, you can always ask your local reference librarian too - they like to help with this kind of thing!!).

Very highly recommended to librarians!

A Clockwork Orange

After about 9 years after my (now) husband read this book, I decided to go for it. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess is a good book, but is not for those who can't stomach reading violent content - especially violence against women. The book is VERY different from the movie and gives the reader much more insight into the main character, Alex's, reasoning, moods, etc... that the movie doesn't do. Also, the version of the book I read has the original last chapter that was cut when the book was originally imported to the U.S. I think I enjoyed it much more with that chapter, though I could see why it was cut due to the time period in American pop culture.

As an aside, the book is written in dialect, so it will be difficult (and not very enjoyable) for some readers. I'd say that if you enjoy Irvine Welsh's books (Trainspotting - among others) and somehow this one has slipped past you - go for it! You'll probably really like it. If you dislike Welsh's books, it doesn't mean you won't like this one, though!

Highly recommended.

A Room of One's Own: Women Writers and the Politics of Creativity

After reading A Room of One's Own, I wanted to delve a little further into how the text came to be and how it's influenced both the women's movement as well as late-20th Century literary criticism. This book by Ellen B. Rosenman is well-written for the educated reader interested in exploring Woolf's essay. Though a literary study/critique, the book does not use a lot of jargon and is easy to follow. For more serious readers, Room of One's Own: Women Writers and the Politics of Creativity will only be a point of departure from which to dig deeper into other critical essays. While not a waste of time, it may not have the depth in each category to keep an academic reader satisfied.

Recommended only for those wishing to find out more about Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own (who have already read that book).

The Lover

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this play by Harold Pinter. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it was written some time ago, but still feels very contemporary as far as the plot goes. I can't really describe the plot without giving away the interesting parts of the story. It's very short (around 50 pages), so go for it! There is no graphic sexual content, though intimate relationships are implied both by the title and the course of the play. It is a little weird, but in a way that is intellectually stimulating, rather than titillating.

Recommended. Highly recommended for film buffs or those into drama.

The Wind in the Willows

Another children's classic I didn't get to in my youth (too busy reading about spiders and the graphic novel-esque biographies of the Presidents of the United States - and Nancy Drew, of course.) The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is a great story about friendship, bravery, and when to seek out adventure (and when not to!). I found the book an enjoyable and relaxing read as an adult, but I suspect it would have been one of my favorites if I'd read it as a kid.

Highly recommended for children!! Also recommended for grown-ups who are kids at heart.

The Hot Zone

(Whew! Gonna take awhile to catch up - I've read a lot since I last posted, but didn't have time to add anything what with having to pull off my wedding and everything. At last I'm feeling more sane and am ready to work on catching up my blog here.)

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston is very well written, though extremely graphic descriptions of the course Ebola Zaire takes through the human body. If you like medical thrillers and are interested in a series of true (and somewhat harrowing) anecdotes tied up neatly together, you will love this book. I will admit I enjoyed the feeling of squeamishness and slight paranoia that the book leaves you with.

Recommended. Highly recommended for anyone who likes medical thrillers or (perhaps) true crime - it is a medical thriller, but reads a little like true crime.