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Reading Rescue, March 2007: Suggestions for the Winter Reading Program
By Anne Allen and Mary Anne Fulmer
 If
you are like us, when the winter reading program at the Penn Area
Library begins, it is exciting to register and get the list of
categories. We eagerly check out an armload of books and start reading
them to earn raffle tickets. However, as the weeks go by, it becomes
harder to find that perfect book for each category. This month, the
Reading Rescuers (no boring books here!) will offer suggestions to help
you keep earning those tickets.
To some of us, the category of military history is
daunting. Thanks to funding from the Westmoreland County Federated
Library System, the young adult section has a series called
"Revolutionary War Leaders" that is interesting and very readable. Each
book is about 80 pages long, with a chronology of the subject (John
Adams, Lafayette, and James Madison to name a few) and a useful glossary
of terms. The illustrations are well chosen, typically reproductions
from the National Archives or Library of Congress. Although short, each
book is packed with information and a joy to read.
It's not hard to find stories with a pet, but some you
might not think of are Jan Karon’s books about Mitford. Father Tim, the
main character, has his big dog, Barnabas, and when Cynthia Coppersmith
moves in next door, she brings her cat Violet. Karon says she writes to
celebrate the joy in ordinary life, and these books are like sitting
down with a cup of tea and relaxing. It's fun to start with the first
book in any series: in this case, At Home in Mitford.
Two of our favorite mystery writers have recently come
out with new books. In Martha Grimes' latest, Dust, a young man
is found dead in a hotel room after visiting a trendy pub. Scotland
Yard's Richard Jury is called in by a hotel employee and, with the help
of friend Melrose Plant, tackles a case with connections to the
Bletchely Park codebreakers of World War II. During the investigation,
Jury finds romance and also encounters characters from his past. Deborah
Crombie is another American who writes police procedurals featuring
Scotland Yard detectives. Water like a Stone takes Superintendent
Duncan Kincaid and partner Gemma James to the Cheshire area, to spend
Christmas with his family. Renovation work in an old barn nearby
uncovers a mummified infant and Kincaid invites himself to help the
local police. A hand-drawn map on the inside cover illustrates where the
action is taking place. Crombie is particularly strong depicting
fractured families, and she has plenty to work with in this novel. A
subplot involving narrowboats on the nearby canals brings a nice sense
of place to the story.
In an earlier article, we recommended historical fiction
by Philippa Gregory. A more recent book by her is The Constant
Princess, the story of Katharine of Aragon. Daughter of the Catholic
Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, and raised in Granada, Katharine was
betrothed to Prince Arthur of England at the age of 3. At 16, she was
sent there to become his bride, never seeing her childhood home or
family again. Gregory paints a vivid picture of a woman who was treated
as a pawn by two royal families, but overcame the intrigues of the court
to marry two heirs to the British throne. True, she was later cast aside
by Henry VIII, but this novel makes clear what an error that was.
Another suggestion in the historical fiction category is
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. Sixteen-year-old Gemma
Doyle is living in India with her parents when her mother is attacked
and killed on the street in Bombay. Her distraught father moves the
family back to England and Gemma is sent off to finishing school to
learn to be a wife and mother. Set in 1896, this young adult novel tells
of Gemma's first months at Spence. She deals with Victorian era "mean
girls", struggles to adapt to a regimented life, and realizes her
visions can take her to another world. This is the first in a proposed
trilogy (the second is Rebel Angels, also available at the library) and
although there are fantasy elements Bray has done her research and
paints an interesting tale of England and young women on the verge of
change.
Katie Fforde writes contemporary British romances, and
Restoring Grace is her latest effort. Recently divorced Grace
Soudley is living in a house she inherited from her aunt. Her ex-husband
has taken nearly all the furniture (it was his) and her bossy sister
thinks the house has dry rot. In short order, a property developer is
poking around, a pregnant artist has moved in, and her rebellious
stepdaughter has come to stay. Fforde has the knack of creating likable
characters in interesting settings and keeping the story moving with
enough conflict to keep her readers engaged. We never doubt Grace will
find happiness and the fun is seeing how it will happen.
The Westmoreland County Federated Library System has
contributed toward the prizes in this year's reading program, as have
local stores and individuals. Keep reading and keep earning those raffle
tickets! Many thanks to those who have responded to our request for used
books. It isn't too late to bring more. As always, send suggestions to
mfulmer@pennlib.org or
telephone the library at 724-744-4414.
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