I just have two library-specific items to add (rounds it up to a nice 30):

You should read the book that catches your attention on the “What the Staff Is Reading” display (an eclectic, ever-changing display in Reader Services).

You should read the book you would have never found on your own from a “just returned” book cart.

That is, if you want to.

Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Dust by Patricia Daniels Cornwell, Dust by Joan Frances Turner, Dust by Elizabeth Bear, and Dust by Hugh Howey,

Dust really is everywhere! Thankfully, the “literary” kind doesn’t aggravate your allergies.

Besides the delicious edible treats (cranberry and chocolate shortbread cookies from the Blue Goose!) we had the A/V treat of discussing the book with the author who joined us from New York via Skype.

Discussing universal themes of love, loss and family, Michael Hainey gave generously of his time and delved deeply with us into his story of truth-seeking and reconciliation.  All of us in attendance appreciated Mr. Hainey’s thoughtful responses and were moved by his willingness to address our questions.

After we signed off with Michael we continued to discuss the book – but having had a glimpse of the real person behind  the words on the page, our discussion seemed weightier.  Some of us changed our opinion about the author’s motivation. Some of us felt an even deeper bond to the story.  Our discussion meandered through personal histories, memories of Chicago landmarks, family relationships – all the while linking back to the memoir we had gathered on a chilly night to discuss.

Next month we will be discussing The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (Morning) and The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (Evening).  I hope you will consider dropping by.  There will be treats, there will be conversation and there will be something to think about.

For more on this topic please see Marlise’s “Part 2″ post.

In addition to agreeing with Jane’s sentiments, I was also struck by something else. Often when the words “books” and “technology” are combined I find myself stifling some feelings of irritation or frustration. However this past week was the culmination of the very best of books and technology with the result that I’ve spent days thinking, “I love living in the future!”

It started innocently enough last June when I was reading After Visiting Friends and tweeted about it, including the author’s Twitter name. Imagine my surprise when Mr. Hainey saw I was interested in using the title for 2nd Tuesday and replied with an offer to join in!

Fast forward seven months and suddenly there were a multitude of emails with Mr. Hainey’s helpful assistant, Emily as we worked out the details.  Yes, it seemed Mr. Hainey would be available on the evening of February 11 (we had tried for the morning discussion group in January but, alas, he was traveling in Italy). Of course he would be in New York, not St. Charles, but no problem! This is the future: we can use technology to put him in the room with us — and that’s exactly what happened. For nearly 30 minutes, Mr. Hainey spoke to us via Skype and shared from the heart about his book while the group listened and asked questions.

It was an extraordinary experience (again, see Jane’s post) and a delightful reminder to me that “books and technology” is a combination of terms book groups should take advantage of as often as possible!

Kate Atkinson’s inventive, mind-bending novel Life After Life takes this notion of repeatedly living in the moment and turns it on its head. The story begins on a dark and wintery night in 1910 when Ursula Todd comes into this world–and almost immediately leaves it. Yet she doesn’t, quite, for a few pages further on, it is a cold and snowy night once more, and Ursula Todd is once again born but doesn’t immediately disappear into a kind of death.

This happens repeatedly during Ursula’s existence–some days it’s her 1910 birthday all over again, and other times it’s a day when she’s a teenager and there’s a killer stalking the woods behind her house. Throughout her life, Ursula will bear witness as England endures two World Wars and countless family tragedies. Though darkness falls in each episode, Ursula comes to life again to relive it in a different way.

Atkinson’s evocative reimagining of a life with endless possibilities is a vast and welcome respite from the sure-thing of this seemingly endless winter.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes: This short yet intense novel follows a middle-aged man contending with a past he has never much thought about until he is presented with a legacy that forces him to reconsider past decisions.

Canada by Richard Ford: After 15-year-old Dell Parsons’ parents rob a bank and are arrested, the trajectory of his life is forever altered.

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom: When a white servant girl violates the order of Southern plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family. A stunning debut novel.

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer: An unforgettable story of three brothers, of history and love, of marriage tested by disaster, of a Jewish family’s struggle against annihilation, and of the dangerous power of art in a time of war.

The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley: After she inherits her childhood home, a magnificent chateau in Le Cote d’Azur, France, Emilie de la Martinieres realizes that it may hold secrets to her family’s enigmatic past during World War II.

Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent: A most unusual heroine–an undertaker–and an interesting time period–1860s London–drives this first in a new series.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese: An enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home.

Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston (585.509794 PRE): This account of the amazing world of redwoods is by turns terrifying, moving, and fascinating.

Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan (770 EGA): The remarkable untold story behind iconic American photographs.

The Dead of Winter: A Rina Martin Novel – Jane Adams
Tempting Evil: A Novel of Suspense – Allison Brennan
Chill Factor – Sandra Brown
61 Hours – Lee Child
Whiter Than Snow – Sandra Dallas
Dry Ice - Bill Evans
White Corridor – Christopher Fowler
Ice Cold: A Rizzoli and Isles Novel – Tess Gerritsen
Downtown Owl – Chuck Klosterman
A Cold Season – Alison Littlewood
The Boy in the Snow - M.J. McGrath
The Cold Kiss – John Rector
Snow Day - Shannon Stacey
Frozen Solid – James M. Tabor

Stay warm!

Mine is the story of a happy reader, because the last book I read in 2013 was one of the year’s best: Ann Patchett’s collection of stellar essays, This Is the Story of  A Happy Marriage.

Want Not, Jonathan Miles’s sophomore novel, was a wry take on American consumerism. James McBride looked at the raid at Harpers Ferry through the eyes of a young boy in The Good Lord Bird, while Karen Russell looked at just about everything, but in a quirky new way in her clever collection of short fiction, Vampires in the Lemon Grove.

2013 was a year of  mind-boggling memoirs and exasperating exposes of global injustice, from Amanda Lindhout’s harrowing tale of captivity at the hands of Somali kidnappers in The House in the Sky, to the amazing Malala Yousafzai’s inspiring story of taking on the Taliban in I Am Malala:  The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, to Nicholas Kristof’s examination of global gender inequality, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression to Opportunity for Women Worldwide.

There were books about war–Ben Fountain’s scathing satire of the military and uber-patriotism, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk–and David Finkel’s sobering look at the stateside challenges faced by soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Thank You for Your Service.

And finally, these three novels proved that one didn’t have to top 700 pages to be a worthwhile read. Sometimes the best things really do come in small packages, as demonstrated by Alice McDermott in Someone; Larry Watson in Let Him Go; and Kent Haruf in Benediction.

We can only hope that 2014 serves up as many good reads.

Happy New Year, everyone!

This time I think I may have spotted a trend in the making! I’m sure you can spot the common denominator – I’ll be keeping an eye out for more.

• New or gently used, quality $3 books at the St. Charles Public Library (on wooden cart near Circulation Desk).

• Canvas bags support the Library and make a truly practical gift.

• Honorary book selections for anyone on your list. Includes a nameplate inside front cover and a note card mailed to the recipient.

• Giving Tree donations (located in main-floor lobby). Thoughtful and generous option for the Hard-to-Shop-For individual. Choose an ornament and make a contribution to those in need. A simple option when looking to make a smaller contribution that directly benefits the community.

• Interested in making a book purchase from a retail establishment? Popular title recommendations are always available from our Readers Services staff members.

~Seasons Greetings from the Readers Services Staff~