I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but when I saw this book I had to read it. It is basically a history of the maps that led up to the first true mapping of the world. Fascinating. The book starts out by discussing the Waldseemuller map. Which, if you are a map enthusiast is the Holy Grail of maps. For years the map was thought to not even exist, as there were only vague references to it. But it appeared in a private library and was brought out to the world.

The book continues, describing Mongol atrocities, Marco Polo's voyages, Amerigo Vespucci, Christopher Columbus and every other great explorer through the early 16 century.
Complete with color plates depicting the earliest maps and really loaded with illustrations, the book traces the history of maps that gave America it's name.

And the best part, besides being interesting is it doesn't read like non-fiction! The tracing of the Mongol exploits reads like a novel. So if you have some extra time over the upcoming holidays, try something different - a non-fiction book.

The Fourth Part of the World: The Race to the Ends of the Earth, and the Epic Story of the Map That Gave America Its Name
By Lester, Toby
2009-11 - Free Press
9781416535317 Check the Library's Catalog

From a contributing editor for "The Atlantic" comes an epic adventure story about the creation of the map that introduced Europe to America and ushered in the New World. …More

Posted by emc at 12:40 PM | 0 comments  
Labels: Liz's Picks, nonfiction

Bestselling author J.A. Jance will appear at the Morton Grove Public Library to talk about her latest book, Trial By Fire, at 2pm on Saturday, December 5, 2009. A book signing and reception will follow Ms. Jance's talk. Borders of Wilmette will handle book sales at the Library.

This event is free, but registration is required. Register by phone at 847-929-5101 or online at calendar.webrary.org.

Photo Credit: http://www.jajance.com/jajance.com/Photos.html#10

Posted by kh at 2:40 PM | 0 comments  
Labels: author, events

What next on Danny Tanner’s Clip Board of Fun? How about a look into the not-so-family-friendly life of troubled former Full House star Jodie Sweetin? Acting by the age of three and unemployed by the age of fourteen, Sweetin, who always defined herself as a good kid and successful actress, learned to cope with her dwindling career by staring down the bottom of bottle. Now sober, Sweetin looks back on her darkest days and attempts to figure out what went awry and why her love of methamphetamine was stronger than her love for herself or her first husband.

Filled with show anecdotes and famous names (she partied with the cast of The Hills!) this memoir seems as if it could tred down the dangerous and unappealing path of ego-stroking. Instead, Sweetin’s grounded and honest voice pulls you in and makes you want to root for her. So kick off your shoes (unless you are Kimmy Gibbler) and find out whatever happened to Stephanie Tanner now that she is all grown up.

Unsweetined
By Sweetin, Jodie
2009-11 - Simon Spotlight Entertainment
9781439152683 Check the Library's Catalog

In the vein of Nic Sheff's "Tweak" and Tori Spelling's "sTori Telling, UnSweetined" reveals the former "Full House" star's harrowing journey from her role as America's sweetheart on a popular television show to her struggle with substance abuse. color photo insert. …More

Posted by kn at 12:01 PM | 0 comments  
Labels: Katie's Picks, memoir

I love mysteries, the quirkier the better. So with that in mind, and Halloween on the horizon, I picked up Ghost a la Mode by Sue Ann Jaffarian. This is the first in a new series by the author starring Granny Apples, famous for her apple pies and believed to have murdered her husband. Imagine her great-great-great-granddaughter, Emma's surprise when Granny begins to appear to her claiming her innocence and demanding that Emma prove it. Nothing gets a person moving then when Emma finds herself craving apple pie and seeing and hearing dead people. As crazy as the premise of this story seems, it was engaging and kept me guessing. Don't wait until next Halloween to check out this ghost story.

Ghost a la Mode: A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery
By Jaffarian, Sue Ann
2009-09 - Midnight Ink
9780738713809 Check the Library's Catalog

A NEW SERIES DEBUT FROM ODELIA GREY MYSTERY AUTHOR SUE ANN JAFFARIAN

If you like the hilarious adventures of Odelia Grey, then you'll love Sue Ann Jaffarian's spirited new mystery series, Ghost of Granny Apples. Along with a sprinkling of history, these mysteries feature the amateur sleuth team of modern-day divorced mom Emma Whitecastle and the spirit of her pie-baking great-great-great-grandmother, Granny Apples.

Granny was notorious for her award-winning apple pies--and for murdering her husband in the orchard. The only trouble is, Granny didn't kill her husband. She was framed, then murdered. For more than a hundred years, Granny's spirit has been searching for someone to help her see that justice is served.

Together, Emma and Granny Apples solve mysteries of the past--starting with Granny's own unjust murder rap in the final days of the California Gold Rush. …More

Posted by cr at 11:10 AM | 0 comments  
Labels: Colleen's Picks, mystery

Readers who have enjoyed Ender's Game and other award-winning science fiction from Orson Scott Card will be surprised to know that he also has written a wonderful biblical fiction trilogy, Women of Genesis. The author's mastery of plot and setting also infuses these books of strong and intriguing women characters: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah.

I had forgotten most of the story of Rebekah in the Old Testament, so reading the novel based on her life was really exciting. The psychological development of Rebekah, her husband Isaac, her father-in-law Abraham, and her warring sons, Esau and Jacob, was wonderfully detailed. A great read!

Rebekah: Women of Genesis
By Card, Orson Scott
2001-12 - Shadow Mountain
9781570089954 Check the Library's Catalog

From bestselling author Orson Scott Card comes another riveting novel exploring the relationships, the settings, and the stories of the Old Testament. In this volume, Rebekah leaves her father's house to marry Isaac, the studious young son of the storied Sarah and Abraham, only to find herself caught up in a series of painful rivalries, first between her husband and his brother, Ishmael, and later between her sons, Jacob and Esau. Through it all she finds her own relationship with God and does her best to serve His cause in the lives of those she loves. …More

Posted by sm at 4:31 PM | 0 comments  

Always one to follow trends, I was lucky enough to catch the flu last week. What better way to suffer through a disease than to listen to a book about people suffering through disease! Author Steven Johnson details the life of the earnest and revolutionary Dr. John Snow who determined that an outbreak of cholera in Victorian London was tied to the popular yet filthy Broad Street water pump. While this sounds like a simple discovery; it was actually an important stepping-stone towards the discovery of germs and the creation of modern hygienic standards.

Many of Dr. Snow’s contemporaries were convinced that smell equated disease and Victorian London was a ripe place to live as industry, husbandry and nearly two million people shared thirty square miles of land. With descriptions of filth that would humble Dickens, Johnson paints a broad picture of not only the scourge of disease, but the social and political scene that ultimately fostered such a devastating bout of pestilence.

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--And How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
By Johnson, Steven
Read by Sklar, Alan
2006-12 - Tantor Media
1400102987 Check the Library's Catalog

A thrilling historical account of the worst cholera outbreak in Victorian London-and a brilliant exploration of how Dr. John Snow's solution revolutionized the way we think about disease, cities, science, and the modern world. The Ghost Map is an endlessly compelling and utterly gripping account of that London summer of 1854, from the microbial level to the macrourban-theory level-including, most important, the human level. …More

Posted by kn at 2:29 PM | 0 comments  
Labels: History, Katie's Picks, nonfiction

In my never-ending quest to find worthy book discussion titles, I stumbled upon Michelle Wildgen's surprisingly touching and accomplished debut novel, You're Not You (2006). Wildgen just published a second novel - But Not for Long - released just days ago, but it's her freshman effort that has captured my attention.

You're Not You is not your average coming-of-age novel. Like many college students, Bec questions whether her chosen major is even what she wants to do; she just slipped into it. To make life even more complicated, she's been having an affair with a married professor. Almost on a whim, Bec takes a part-time job as a care-giver for Kate, a thirty-something with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). We quickly learn that Kate's marriage is on the rocks.

One of the aspects of the novel I most appreciated was Wildgen's skill at developing Kate and Bec's relationship. The line between professionalism and friendship slowly blurs, resulting in two compelling, believable characters. Some reviewers complained that Wildgen's portrayal of care-giving for an ALS patient was a bit unrealistic. I don't have the experience to contradict that assessment or to verify Wildgen's portrayal; however, I can say that I felt Wildgen's descriptions at least gave me an impression of the difficulties of care-giving. The novel isn't full of closure and happy endings, but it's a satisfying read in same way I felt satisfied after reading Chris Bohjalian's Midwives. If you're like me, you'll be thinking about it for days after you finish the last page.

You're Not You
By Wildgen, Michelle
2006-05 - Thomas Dunne Books
0312352298 Check the Library's Catalog

College student Bec is dangerously adrift. Self-conscious and increasingly uncertain about her long-term plans, she' s studying a major that no longer interests her and is caught up in a bewildering affair with a married professor. In an impulsive attempt to redeem herself, she answers a want ad seeking a caregiver …More

Posted by kh at 11:50 AM | 0 comments  
Labels: contemporary fiction, Karen's Picks, Literary Fiction