A Local Mystery

If you like a fun mystery, Shanghai Tunnel by Sharan Newman might be right up your alley. It takes place in early Portland and has many references to streets, people and historic events that are specific to PDX. It gives a good picture of the lifestyle, politically and personally, in the early days of Portland. I enjoyed it!

To find this book in the Library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org

Reviewed by Rea

A Sunny Read for a Rainy Day

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows was great fun to read. Written in the form of letters, it's packed with interesting characters who are surprisingly easy to keep track of (considering how many there are).

Set immediately after World War II, the plot revolves around the German occupation of the British Channel Islands, a historical event that I wasn't aware of before. I liked the characters a lot and found myself thinking about them and their stories off and on during the days that I read this fast moving book.

To find this book in the Library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org

Reviewed by Jean S.

A Fractured American Dream

America, America by Ethan Canin is narrated by Corey Sifter and intertwines 3 stories into one. Though he is the son of a working class family, Corey is “adopted” into the rich Metarey’s family as a worker.

We then follow the story of a local politician’s journey to almost capture the 1972 Democratic Party’s nomination for President. We get the story from the present tense as Corey is a teen and being exposed to the big political machine at work, and then in the past tense when Corey is the editor of the local newspaper many years later.

The third story line runs through the entire book as we know “something” has gone wrong. The reader follows the rise and fall of the local candidate described against actual historical events of the 1970s.

If you enjoy historical fiction, pick up this book for a good read.

To find this book in the Library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org/

Reviewed by Denise

A Boy and his Dog

Now that I’ve finished The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski, I’m not quite sure how to describe it. Certainly there are unmistakable elements of Hamlet: a father killed by an uncle who then immerses himself in the mother’s affections; a son driven mad by his father’s murder and the knowledge of who did it. But it is also a dog story, a family story, a “midwestern” and a very American saga.

Edgar is a sensitive boy born to loving parents on an idyllic farm where they raise a fictional and very special breed of dog called the Sawtelle dogs. Though he can hear perfectly, the new family quickly finds that their child cannot speak or even make any sound. Edgar and his parents develop a sign language that they use to communicate, but this disability soon becomes the least of their problems.

Edgar’s uncle, the black-sheep Claude, shows up after years of self-imposed exile. A short time later, Edgar discovers his father dead of an apparent stroke. But Edgar is sure that Claude has murdered his father and sets out to prove this, with unexpectedly horrific results. Edgar flees into the wild with only a pack of young dogs and his grief. In his journey, he finds both answers and more questions and must ultimately return to the farm to make things right. This being a saga, of course, you may not find a happy ending. Yet I found this brilliantly written novel satisfying, mesmerizing, and very affecting.

Oprah just chose this novel as her latest “Oprah’s Book club” pick. It’s quite a thick tome but perfect for those soon-to-come rainy afternoons of fall.

To find this book in the Library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org

Reviewed by Lori M.

The Secret to a Long Life

In The Alchemyst: Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, the title character has found the secret to immortality, but now his wife, Pernell, and the book that holds his secret have been kidnapped by the evil Dr. John Dee. Every day without the book brings Nicholas and Pernell one year closer to mortality. Their only hope may be 15 year-old twins who are just beginning to understand their magical potential. Surreptitiously dumped into a dangerous world, twins Sophie and Josh have entered a world of immortals, werewolves, vampires, gods, goddesses, and creatures they can't even begin to fathom.

I was hooked from the start of this fast-paced read. Michael Scott's writing is brisk and highly entertaining. Myths are articulately woven together to create a web you won't want to escape from!

To find this book in the Library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org

Reviewed by Korie B.

An American Family with a Few Issues

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh

The “condition” of this title is, ostensibly, Turner Syndrome, a gene deficiency that causes the McKoch family’s daughter Gwen not to go through puberty, basically leaving her with the body of a little girl into adulthood. But as we read further, we find that each member of this family has their own condition that leaves all of them deficient; prim mother Paulette, driven detached father Frank, closeted gay golden boy son Billy, loser blacksheep son Scotty and, of course, the physically and emotionally stunted Gwen.

We meet the family in the summer of 1978, glossy on the outside, but ready to disintegrate on the inside. Twenty years later, we revisit their lives, all grown up and still falling apart. Though they aren’t all totally healed of their condition by the end of the novel, I found a certain amount of satisfaction in their journey. Haigh is an insightful and graceful writer who goes deep into each character extracting the ways people can become so involved in their own conditions that they cannot connect with others. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book, I’m not normally one for family drama type novels, but I found this one was different and I enjoyed it very much.

To find this book in the Library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org

Reviewed by Lori M.

The Joy of a Good Listen

I love listening to stories. Some audio books are just so well read they beg to be listened to again and again. Stephen Briggs' reading of The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett is one such story.
This is the tale of Tiffany Aching, a young girl with keen observation skills who becomes entwined in the magical world. With a firm grasp on reality, and her frying pan, Tiffany finds herself in league with the Nac Mac Feegle (also known as the Wee Free Men). While best known for their fightin', stealin' and drinkin', the little blue men also become fiercely protective of Tiffany when she must rescue her sticky little brother Wentworth from the Queen of the Elves.

Although a delightful fantasy, this story is ultimately about common sense, standing up for "them as can't" and the magic of truly seeing what is around you.

To find this book in the Library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org

Reviewed by Korie B.