To Code or Not to Code

So much has been written about The Da Vinci Code--both the book and now the movie--that I feel like the bottom line has been lost (much like the Grail). First and foremost, it is a work of fiction. Perhaps not the most literary work around but it's a thrilling ride. And many, many people have enjoyed reading--and now watching--it.

And to me, that is the remarkable thing. Countless numbers of people have come into the library the past three years asking for the book and a good number of them mentioned that they weren't readers but were told to read this one book. Or someone who had read Da Vinci Code then came in to find out more about any number of topics addressed in the book, or to get Brown's earlier work, Angels and Demons (which I actually preferred). Non-readers picked up a book--and sometimes came looking for more.

Da Vinci Code is the adult's Harry Potter--controversy surrounds it but it's turned a number of people to reading. And that, I think, is the most important thing. Do I care about content? To some extent, but I'm more excited that people came into the library and asked questions. And talked about the book with their friends and co-workers. That is not a problem for librarians and booksellers--that is a reason to rejoice!

I wanted to re-read the book before seeing the movie and ended up buying my own copy rather than putting my name on the waiting list for one of the library's six copies to come in (this title has had reserves on it for well over two years) and yes, I enjoyed it again. There are so many layers that makes it a thriller for the masses (so to speak). Will people be offended? Possibly, but they must remember--it's only fiction! Each and every reader will bring something different to the book--which is true of every book read it. If you don't like it, then put it down and read something else. But don't read too much into it. It's one man's story that resonated with the public. And it has made many, many people read. What's so bad about that?

A Book of Wonders

Last night's book discussion was over Geraldine Brooks' novel, A Year of Wonders. As I told the group, this was a book I've wanted to read but knew I would never pick it up unless I had to for a specific reason and I would continue to put it on the list until they voted for it. Fortunately, it only took two years--and it was well worth the wait!

Who would think a book about the plague of 1666 would be so good? Not that it was a particularly easy read but it had so many layers and the descriptive language just sucked me (and most of the group) into the story. Of course, having strong female characters didn't hurt either. I've recommended it to a minister friend & hope he is able to get it read & then incorporate it into a sermon. Which I want to hear, if that ever happens.

So, don't be scared off by the subject & do yourself a favor--find the book and open yourself up to a time of wonders.

Stormy Weather...and Reads

With all the rain (which is sorely needed, so I'm not complaining) I started thinking about books that have a major plot line of storms. Naturally, Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm lept to the forefront but since I am at heart a fiction reader, I kept looking.

One of the earliest storm-related books I read was Storm Warning by Jack Higgins. I had just recently discovered Higgins and this one kept me on the edge of my seat, forgetting to breathe as I read his descriptions of the storm off the coast of Scotland. And, as always, it had the usual Higgins plot twists--who's really the good guy and who's the bad one. Reading it as windows rattle would make it even more realistic.

Other rain-related titles include In Sunlight, In a Beautiful Garden by Kathleen Cambor (and you have the added benefit of a librarian character) which tells two intertwining stories that come together during the Johnstown Flood (for a non-fiction account, see David McCullough's The Johnstown Flood), The Staggerford Flood by Jon Hassler (one of all-time favorite authors), and Agatha Raisin and the Day the Day the Floods Came by M.C. Beaton. I seem to recall that one of Jeanne Dams' mysteries includes a storm--perhaps Holy Terror in the Hebrides--but since the Dorothy Martin series is set in England, it's always raining. And an interesting tale of a lightning strike survivor can be found in Alice Hoffman's The Ice Queen.

The Breathtaker by Alice Blanchard does almost take your breath away--like tornadoes aren't exciting enough and then she throws in a serial killer! There's also Rene Gutteridge's Splitting Storm and The Rescuer by Dee Henderson has a tornado subplot.

And if you didn't get enough hurricane news last fall, check out Margaret Maron's Storm Tracker (or the latest nonfiction by Douglas Brinkley, The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast).

Any of these would make a fine rainy day read--unless you don't want to get out to go to the library!

New Blog Address

I've changed the address to more fully represent this blog, which will focus on reader's advisory at the Pittsburg, KS, Public Library. Feel free to check the other PPL blog periodically as it will be updated for more general library information and news (you will also be able to view my previous posts there--at least until I figure out how I might be able to move them to this site and keep them dated as posted).