Hershey Public Library

A Gift from Us to You ...

Compiled May, 2000

CAS=audio book  CD=book on CD  LP=large print book  Pbk=paperback

The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler - Thoroughly enjoyable - Anne Tyler has a way of bringing her characters to life.

Atop an Underwood by Jack Kerouac - Recently discovered writings of the Beat Generation author of On the Road and The Dharma Bums.

Beowulf: a New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney - The great old Anglo-Saxon tale of gore and glory, sung anew by Irish poet and Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney.

Birdsong / The Girl at the Lion d'Or / Charlotte Gray by Sabastian Faulks – Faulks' trilogy of England and France from the Great War through World War II achieves the best of historical fiction by bringing to dramatic life details and events one knew in theory but now can feel and care about.

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman – Funny and entertaining while it teaches about medieval times. Books from the juvenile and YA section are often just as entertaining and substantial as adult books – and faster to read when I’m pressed for time.

Chasing Cezanne by Peter Mayle – Another art caper and a great book for summer – full of the azure and sun of Provence, attractive characters, and visits to only the best and most expensive of restaurants, hotels, resorts, etc. Enjoy a four-star vacation without having to leave home!

Chosen by God by Joshua Hammer – Hammer, a Newseek reporter, has written a powerful memoir about his relationship with his brother, who joins a Hasidic Jewish community. The book unemotionally explores sibling rivalry and the conflicts that occur because of his brother’s ultraconservative religious commitment. Fascinating look at another form of religious conservatism. Finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize. (2)

Consuming Passions: A Food Obsessed Life – Funny, yummy memories of growing up in the South. Mouth-watering recipes; a cookbook you can really sink your teeth into!

A Dangerous Woman by Mary McGarry Morris – Filled with psychological insight, Morris creates an outcast that you will come to know and root for as you watch her hopeless attempts to connect with others. The outsider in us all feels for her.

East of the Mountains by David Guterson – Well written. A positive note on a usually depressing subject.

Failure to Connect by Jane M. Healy – A serious study about computers in the classroom.

From This Day Forward by Cokie and Steven Roberts – These thoughtful journalists (one Catholic, one Jewish) give sound advice on marriage and family and include personal reflections on their own marriage of 33 years. They intersperse their story with interesting historical accounts of other marriages, including Abigail and John Adams, slave marriages, and marriages of American homesteaders. (2)

A Girl Named Desire by Nancy Farmer – Interesting insight into African culture. The main character, Nham, offers a strong role model for girls.

The Giver by Lois Lowry – This book offers a lot for everyone to think about.

Grendel by John Gardner – And to prove that every story has at least two sides, try the old tale from the beast’s (or is it victim’s?) perspective.

Headlong by Michael Frayn – Part romantic triangle (thin), part art heist caper (clever), but mainly masterful, intriguing ideas about the work of the great Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel. Based on solid detective work in art history.

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III– Well written, complex characters whose fates are inevitable outcomes of their actions and circumstances. You come to know and care about these flawed but likeable people from very different backgrounds.

Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson – Don’t let the title put you off. The author has a PhD, a J.D., and, no doubt, could support a housekeeper. Yet she finds perverse joy in maintaining her own household and shares her secrets on how to do it. Don’t be intimidated by the length; it is intended as a reference book, but it is fascinating.

Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts – Great book for the beach or a plane trip. Could not put it down. Take a quirky cast of characters from dysfunctional backgrounds, plunk them down at a roadhouse café in Oklahoma, and watch them create their own little universe of kindness and love. A better read then Letts’ first book.

The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain’s Journey by Linda Greenlaw – The world’s only female swordfish boat captain says: “I am a woman. I am a fisherman...I am not a fisherwoman, fisherlady, or fishergirl. If anything else, I am a thirty-seven-year-old tomboy.” This is her account of a typical 1000-mile fishing trip. Written in a straightforward manner sprinkled with humor.

In a Class by Itself by Sandra Brown – Bubblegum reading.

Jane Austen, A Life by Claire Tomalin – Well-researched, lively discussion of Jane Austen and her works, with many references to family documents. Austen, as here presented convincingly, was an observant, witty woman and conversationalist, conscious of her own gifts and very like one of her own characters—Elizabeth Bennet, in fact.

McNally’s Puzzle by Lawrence Sanders – Set in Palm Beach, Florida. Discrete investigations show how “the other half” lives.

A Month in the Country by James Lloyd Carr – Short and thought-provoking. The story unfolds and provides surprises to the last page. An insight into the mind of a young man recovering from the psychological effects of war.

Murder on a Bad Hair Day by Anne George – Set in Alabama, this mystery involving two sisters is funny and entertaining.

Nabokov’s Blues: The Scientific Odyssey of a Literary Genius by Kurt Johnson – The writer of Lolita had another interest – butterflies. Great read for summer.

The New New Thing by Michael Lewis – Awful title, great story. About the eccentric genius behind Netscape and two other billion dollar corporations.

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – A breath-taking first novel from a native (Pennsylvania) son. Don’t let the YA sticker fool you. This is a touching portrait of life in our communities.

Plainsong by Kent Haruf – With prose as clean and spare as the High Plains setting (and not one whiff of sentimentality), Haruf creates wonderfully complex and memorable characters who endure and forge love and joy out of pain. You will laugh out loud at some of these kind, shy souls. (2)

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver – The amazing story of a family growing up in The Congo – now Zaire. Well written and informative.

The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney – About four women and the friendship that sustains them. Intelligent women’s fiction — the writing is clean, the story engrossing, and the characters engaging.

Silicon Snake Oil by Clifford Stoll – Computer programmer and spy catcher gives his thoughtful, and sometimes hilarious, opinions of the information super highway.

Sisters of the Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni – In lush, lyrical prose, the author tells the story of two Indian cousins united by ties of the heart. Their bond is severely tested as they come of age and move apart.

Sugar by Bernice McFadden – This first novel focuses on an unlikely friendship between two women. Set in a fictional small town in 1950s Arkansas. Good candidate for future Oprah book.

The Switch by Olivia Goldsmith – Funny, lighthearted, and entertaining.

Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl – Reichl is the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, and former New York Times Restaurant Critic. Her book focuses on the fascinating journey of a woman who stumbles upon her true calling as a gourmet, despite her humble beginnings as a child of a horrible, and often hazardous, cook.

This One and Magic Life by Anne Carroll George – A former Alabama State Poet , this master storyteller has written a beautiful and charming narrative about a southern family that is brimming with eccentric characters and the comforts of home and family.

Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and his Quest for the Origins of Behavior by Jonathan Weiner – A fascinating account of the developments in science. Particularly concerned with behavior and genes.

Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle – If you’re looking for humor in the South of France, a good place to start in this well-known series by Mayle is in the middle, with Toujours Provence.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom – Made me think about what’s really important!

Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World by Mark Pendergrast – Fascinating history of coffee. If you liked Emperors of Chocolate, you’ll enjoy this in-depth book.

Until the Real Thing Comes Along by Elizabeth Berg – In my opinion, her best work. Berg speaks with an authentic voice about women’s lives. Funny, poignant—you’ll read it straight through!

Waiting by Ha Jin – Two women, one man — an engaging triangle set in modern China against the changes of the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath. The award-winning young author skillfully provides a window into his native culture while dealing with the universal questions of love and family and wryly reminds us of that old proverb: “Be careful what you wish for . . .”

We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters by Cokie Roberts – How refreshing to read of a successful, educated woman who strongly holds on to old-fashioned values.

May 2000