Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights by Maggie Berg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book gave me a lot of insight into Wuthering Heights' enduring status as a classic. I think the reason I disliked Wuthering Heights so violently was because I'd always heard it was a love story & that isn't the case at all. Heathcliff is pretty much a psycho and Catherine is a drama queen. Both are definitely narcissistic. Passionate, yes, but still damaged goods (I mean seriously, who'd dig up the corpse of their beloved - twice?). I liked this analysis of the book because it discussed the fact that all the action in the book is interpreted through at least one filter (Lockwood) and mostly through 2 - Lockwood telling us what Nelly told him what she observed and what the other characters told her. I can appreciate the unreliable narrator aspect and I think I can more fully appreciate the text - even though I still find it disturbing.

I would definitely recommend the book - with the caveat that I think the readers should read something else *about* the book also (doesn't have to be this particular work of criticism). I definitely got a lot more out of it that way.

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Bookhunter

Bookhunter by Jason Shiga

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A quick, but action-packed read. Even more awesome than I'd hoped! :D Agent Bay's hard-boiled edge totally makes the story. A must-read for all library staff who enjoy comics & graphic novels



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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!

Nonfiction Readers' Advisory

I read this collection of essays to enrich my readers' advisory skills, which I use nigh daily in my role as a public librarian. I found these essays interesting, enjoyable, as well as helpful in carrying out one of my roles as a librarian. Very insightful.

Very highly recommended for all public librarians!!

Girl Sleuth

This is a recent book by Melanie Rehak. See? I do read things other than the classics and children's books!! Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her is much more than a biography of the women involved in writing and updating the Nancy Drew mystery series. It also describes the business of ghostwriting many of the most popular children's series created in the United States as well as presenting a portrait of "appropriate" roles for women throughout the majority of the 2oth Century.

Especially recommended for those interested in publishing &/or the complexities of women's roles and opinions during the 20th Century (and Nancy Drew fans too!). An enjoyable read for most other non-fiction fans.

Heavy Words

When I requested Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme by Chris Roberts, I confess that I was hoping for something a little more pithy. However, the book is very enjoyable and spends several pages discussing each rhyme, though some rhymes I think are more popular in the UK than here in the States. The glossary of UK slang words was very helpful (and entertaining). The most interesting thing about the book as a whole is the introduction of rhyming slang, in which the slang is the word in the phrase that doesn't rhyme with the object it refers to - e.g. calling a five pound note (a fiver) a "lady" because "Lady Godiva" rhymes with "fiver" in some British accents. Intriguing!

Recommended for the curious. Those expecting more studious, less glib analysis should look elsewhere.

nonrequired reading

Wistawa Szymborska is best known as a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature for her collections of poetry. Apparently, though, she also writes a column in a Polish newspaper that reviews a broad and refreshing scope of books. From how-to guides on hanging wallpaper to history texts for the educated layperson, Szymborska seems to tackle them all in her column. This book is a collection of selected columns.

I found this collection very refreshing because I tend to think of those people who've won prestigious prizes for literature (and other fields) as being literary and profound all the time. It seems as though they must be able to appreciate all literature with their ultra-astuteness. The refreshing part comes in doses where Szymborska isn't able to finish a book because it bores her so much - or she hates a book for being too fluffy (or too serious about a fluffy topic). It unfolds through this series of columns that she's a regular person who loves reading and has very eclectic tastes. Awesome!

Recommended for bibliophiles looking for the next good book.