Lou's News & Reviews
June 16, 2009
Summer Reads
Summer time is here and the reading is easy. Summer reading that is. I just read through Oprah's picks for her summer reads and ordered a few we don't have for the library. I've already read four this summer that will be hard to top. I count any day as a summer day when it is too warm to wear socks, meaning warmer than 80 degrees:
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - Flavia de Luce, the 11 year old sleuth in this adult novel, is a holy terror of a creation. Brilliant, gallingly observant, and a budding chemist/poison expert, she inhabits the dusty, once grand country estate of the de Luce family in 1950s England. A dead man in the cucumber patch sprouts long guilt tendrils that point to Flavia's father and so begins the introduction of a wildly entertaining new heroine in the mystery genre. This is the first of the "Flavia" trilogy. I can't wait for the other two! This is the debut novel of a 70 year-old first time novelist. He took his time and delivered a delicious story and one-of-a-kind character in Flavia. (Sample this tasty book with this 40-page teaser)
 Wesley the Owl, The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O'Brien - What I don't know about barn owls used to be pretty much everything. Now thanks to Stacey O'Brien's true-life tale about her 20-year relationship with Wesley, I'm much wiser in their ways and richer for reading about it. As a biologist, O'Brien was working at Caltech Owl Research Center when the injured young owlet was given into her care. Since he would never be able to return to the wild, she was taking on a lifetime responsibility but one that rewarded her and the scientific community many times over. Her up-close and personal observations revealed owls are much more intelligent and experience more genuine emotions than many people give them credit for.
 Stone's Fall by Iain Pears - A book guaranteed to halt all daily activities at least until you've finished it, Stone's Fall is hefty tome but well worth the arm strain. This one is difficult to classify. Historical mystery? Check. Introduction to the 21st century arms race? Yep. Commentary on the interlocking nature of high finance and politics? It's in there! Love story? Sure, why not? It jumps around in time from 1950's Paris to 1909 London to 1860's Venice but story uses the death by falling of financial mastermind and billionaire John Stone as a starting point. A young London crime reporter is hired by the widow (the amazing Elizabeth) to uncover some information but the truths he discovers leads to another story and then another and another voice. Finish it first and then we'll talk about it! I know you'll want to!
 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith - Yes, the cast of characters is the same but they have been joined by an undead horde of "unmentionables" that make frequent and altogether unseemly annoyances of themselves at an evening party. This time round Mr. Darcy admires Lizzie less for her "fine eyes" and more for her excellent martial art skills in dispatching zombies. Ms. Austen must be tossing in her grave - or planning to rise from it!
Summer Events for Children
 The Summer Reading program starts June 17 and continues through Aug 12. Every time you read a book, write the title and author on your book log. Ask for a fun sticker to put on your log. Kids who read and keep track of at least 10 books get a goodie bag full of fun treats, plus "Book Bucks", donated by the Friends of the Lopez Island Library, that can be redeemed at Islehaven Bookstore. Young ones can take part even if the books are being read to them or by listening to audio books. The book logs will be ready on June 17, says Rosie Sumner. The popular "Read to a Dog" event will take place on Tuesdays in July. Call the library to sign up for reading to a sympathetic and furry ear. Let the reading begin and never stop.
Author, Julie Foster Van Camp at the Community Center
 Julie Foster Van Camp will talk about her new book, Searching for Ichabod: His 18th-Century diary leads me home. Part autobiography, part history, the talk will also include brief introduction to the tools used by local genealogists Linda Rose and Rita Larom. I'll be on hand to show some local genealogy resources available through the library. The event will be held at the Community Center 7pm on Jun 18th and the library will have a copy for circulation after the reading.
July 4th Book Sale - Friends of the Library
 Mark your calendars for July 4th Book Sale. The Friends of the Library organize a twice a year book sale to help support programs and resources at the Lopez Island Library. And not just books but films, music CDs and other merchandise such as library t-shirts, aprons, note cards, hats and more. Do a little early Chistmas shopping and help out your community library at the same time! It is not too late to donate books, CDs or films for the sale. Of particular value, would also be a donation of time. The Friends of the Library still need helpers at the sale to do setup and take down activities. Call Lou at 468-2265 for more information.
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