In July 1865, “Wild Bill” Hickok shot and killed Davis Tutt in Springfield, MO– the first quick-draw duel on the frontier. Thus began the reputation that made him a marked man to every gunslinger in the Wild West. The legend of Wild Bill has only grown since his death in 1876, when cowardly Jack McCall famously put a bullet through the back of his head during a card game. Bestselling author Tom Clavin has sifted through years of western lore to bring Hickok fully to life in this rip-roaring, spellbinding true story. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: February 2019”
The setting of “Scribe” by Alyson Hagy is somewhere in the southeastern United States. The time that it takes place in is less clear. People are living in the wake of a civil war and an epidemic, both of which killed many and left the survivors damaged and uprooted.There is a government that operates in an autocratic manner, though their presence in the remote hills this story takes place seems limited. Locally the social order is dictated by the competing interests of a strongman and a family with control of a large amount of land. Travel is by foot or by horse. Goods and services are acquired through a barter economy. Continue reading “Know Your Dystopias: Scribe”
My butler says there are two types of people: those that clean and those that make messes. He believes the mess makers should learn from the cleaners. He gently broached the topic while I was having a corn-on-the-cob break. “Intriguing premise,” I hollered. I sat my cob on the ottoman my butler was nearly done shampooing. “I’m inclined to agree,” I said at a reasonable volume. I beckoned for the butter bucket. My butler fetched the bucket and prepared a fresh cob. “But how do we teach those messy folk?” Deep in thought, I scratched my chin with the cob and wiped my buttery hand on the carpet.
My butler sighed in agreement. “Perhaps you could read a book about tidying up.” He hurriedly added, “so that then you could share the message it conveys with those that need to hear it.” As an aside, he added that perhaps books about being self aware and improving one’s memory might also be of interest to me. Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Jen Beagin”
I’m not sure I ever met someone who felt neutral toward poetry — most will feel strongly some type of way, likely a mixture of anxiety and disdain spurred by painful memories of English class. Or maybe absolute adoration causing them to burst into a melancholic recitation of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” from memory. Personally I’m no bard, but lately I’ve wanted to flex those muscles harder. Maybe it’s the residual resolution spirit of the new year. But where to start? What better place than the work of poets in my community?
There are a couple library happenings that got me interested in poetry written by Missourians in particular: Book Riot’s release of their 2019 Read Harder Challenge (see requirement 24 to read a recently published poetry collection) and Missouri’s first Poet Laureate Walter Bargen’s tour of the DBRL branches this quarter. Some of Missouri’s great poets have wide name recognition like Langston Hughes, Sara Teasdale, T.S. Eliot (who famously eschewed his Midwestern roots) and Maya Angelou, but I implore you all to look for poets even closer to home. Below you’ll find a number of local poets in our collection, ranging from Governor-appointed poets laureate to those in the Mizzou community and even DBRL staff. If you’re perusing in person, look for a purple sticker on the book spine which designates work by local authors. But first, a few tips for making poetry resonate with you: Continue reading “Read (Even) Harder With Contemporary Missouri Poets”
Start the new year right by picking up a book by one of these new fiction authors. There are plenty of options this month. And, as always, you can find a longer list of new titles in our catalog.
Left alone in Germany while her husband is fighting on the front lines of WWII, Rosa Sauer leaves Berlin seeking safety and is instead forced by the SS to become one of Hitler’s food tasters. Twice a day she accompanies nine other women to the Wolf’s Lair, Hitler’s secret headquarters, where they taste all of Hitler’s meals before he does. As the war worsens, the group of tasters becomes increasing more fractious, dividing into those who are loyal to Hitler and those who, like Rosa, aren’t Nazis even though they risk their lives to protect one every day. Continue reading “Debut Author Spotlight: January 2019”
With the new year comes new librarian favorites! I’m excited to start this year on such a positive note with plenty of books. We have a trilogy-finisher, a long-awaited second novel and several heartwarming reads to protect you from the cold and snow outside. Check out these books nominated by librarians across the country with this month’s LibraryReads.
“A wonderfully dark and mysterious read. Something happens one stormy winter solstice evening that triggers a chain of events that changes the lives of all the main characters. Moody and mystical. For readers who love gothic fiction like ‘The Death of Mrs. Westaway‘ and ‘The Clockmaker’s Daughter.’” ~Melanie Liechty, Logan Library, Logan, UTContinue reading “January LibraryReads”
I harbor an extreme fondness for lists, both creating and reading them. Judging by the number of books on the topic, I know I have a lot of company.
Last year saw the publication of three noteworthy books containing suggested reading lists. “1,000 Books to Read Before You Die” is the product of decades of work. James Mustich, a longtime book seller, pulls titles from many genres, time periods and cultures. His suggestions include Plato and Zadie Smith, as well as “The 9/11 Commission Report.” Continue reading “Literary Links: List Mania”
We’re taking a look back at some the most in-demand nonfiction book titles released in 2018 at DBRL. In 2018 there were several categories of nonfiction books that were popular.
Here is a quick look at the most noteworthy nonfiction titles being released this January. Visit our catalog for a more extensive list.
Top Picks
“Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land
“Evicted” meets “Nickel and Dimed” in Stephanie Land’s memoir about working as a maid, a beautiful and gritty exploration of poverty in America. While the gap between upper middle-class Americans and the working poor widens, grueling low-wage domestic and service work — primarily done by women — fuels the economic success of the wealthy. Land worked for years as a maid, pulling long hours while struggling as a single mom to keep a roof over her daughter’s head. In “Maid,” she reveals the dark truth of what it takes to survive and thrive in today’s inequitable society. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: January 2019”
Posted on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 by Reading Addict
It has been another stellar year of reading. I love looking back at what I have read and analyzing the various books and the tangents that I went on for the year.
I overshot my goal of 100 by just a little — I managed to read 170. I was all prepared to be really impressed with myself but when I took a closer look it just means that I read shorter books than last year. For example, the shortest book I read was a book that my daughter brought back to me from her visit to Atlantis Books in Greece called “Unpacking My Library” by Walter Benjamin. It was a slight 23 pages long. And the longest book I read was “Mencken: The American Iconoclast” by Marion Elizabeth Rogers at 662 pages, which is still about 300-400 pages shorter than my longest books for previous years.
Our library took part in Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge for 2018 and so, of course, I couldn’t resist. I even took the challenge a step farther in reading only books by women in the hopes that I might get a little closer reading at least half of my total books for the year by women. How did I do with that goal? I read 110 books by women!!! That is my first time ever breaking (or really even getting near to) this goal of reading 50% by women authors. And how has that affected me overall? I have to admit that I have much less patience for old white men now. I hope to keep this trend of reading more women up in the coming year and I’m already planning out my Read Harder Challenge for 2019.
I have made a list of my FAVORITE books read for the year if you would like to take a peek. I don’t know where next year’s reading will take me but I know it will take me through a lot of excellent books, and I’m excited to go there! You can join me at the library for the 2019 Read Harder Challenge and we can journey together.
