Hi everyone, here are our recommended reads for the week!
*More information on the three catalogs and available formats is found at the end of the list of recommended reads*
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Weekly Suggested Reading postings are published on Wednesdays.
And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
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Age of Revolutions by Fareed Zakaria
Of revolutions good and bad, born of intentions good and evil. In this wide-ranging historical survey, political commentator Zakaria, author of The Post-American World, considers the present era to be “revolutionary in the commonly used sense of the word,” involving fundamental changes marked not necessarily by advances but instead retreats into ideologies once overcome. Donald Trump, in this regard, is “part of a global trend,” the proponent of a politics of resentment against the other, whether nonwhite newcomers or members of the so-called urban elite. Some revolutions have had better angels at their hearts. The establishment of the Dutch Republic, for example, brought with it a “celebration of individual rights…[and] toleration of religious minorities,” along with an entrepreneurial spirit that made Holland the wealthiest nation on the planet. Similarly, the British government supported inventors and technological innovation after the Glorious Revolution, which introduced “parliamentary rule and market capitalism,” giving the nation a decided leg up on more hidebound neighbors. Throughout this intellectually stimulating book, Zakaria asks and answers large questions, such as why the U.S., alone among industrial nations, never developed a socialist movement. (One part of the answer is that the U.S. never experienced feudalism as such, and its ruling class “obscured the strict lines of class conflict that fed socialism.”) Absent socialism, the country instead developed a liberal democracy along the lines of the old Dutch Republic, for better and worse. Zakaria writes, “Liberalism’s great strength throughout history has been to free people from arbitrary constraints. Its great weakness has been the inability to fill the void when the old structures crumble.” That’s about where we are today, with old structures collapsing on every side and no fresh solutions in view–certainly, the author concludes, not from the right wing. A thought-provoking tour of recent history and its considerable discontents. – Kirkus Review
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The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Time: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times by Robin Reames
A scholar of rhetoric makes the case that reviving the teaching of rhetoric and language can help bridge our destructive political and social divide. Reames, a professor of English at the University of Illinois-Chicago, breathes life into the study and technique of rhetoric, specifically why words are selected and how they can be used to change one’s thinking about delving below the surface of ideology in order to yield more civil and productive interaction. The author aptly demonstrates her expertise about the development of rhetoric in Athenian democracy, especially how the Sophists cleverly exploited language to manipulate public opinion, and she compares and contrasts the rhetorical strategies of Greek demagogues such as Gorgias and Alcibiades to modern-day use and abuse of language by politicians and public figures. Reames also poignantly leans on her own difficult and frustrating rhetorical relationship with her late father to illustrate how ideological assumptions and an unwillingness or inability to break free from our own “hermeneutic circles” can establish and deepen division and misunderstanding, a story that’s painfully relatable. The history of rhetoric that the author presents is fascinating, and the parallels she draws to the modern world are sharp and sprinkled with both bluntness and wit. Reames concludes the book with several practical and useful tips for thinking rhetorically in such a contentious era. Unfortunately, the people who most need to read this book–political and media demagogues, fearmongers, and keyboard warriors who amplify our polarized society–probably won’t. Even if they did, it’s difficult to say if they would heed the author’s advice or double down on their sophistry. Nonetheless, the rest of us should seriously consider the wisdom Reames offers, eschew the comfort of ideological reinforcement that she outlines, and, most importantly, think for ourselves by holding our beliefs to rigorous questioning. Required reading for any thinking person. – Starred Kirkus Review
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Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger
Krueger follows up his sure-handed debut novel, Iron Lake (1998), with an equally effective second thriller featuring former Chicago cop, now former local sheriff Cork O’Connor and his adventures in the warm-spirited little town of Aurora, Minn., and the harsh wilderness that surrounds it. The durable O’Connor, who used to watch over the territory as sheriff until he was voted out of office in a personal and professional meltdown, now tends a burger stand but still has a reputation as a go-to guy when trouble arises. It does so in the form of William Raye, an aging country singer who’s looking for his daughter, Shiloh, a famous rock musician who disappeared several months earlier into the Boundary Waters, the thickly forested, lake-dotted area to the north. O’Connor isn’t looking for work, but he takes the case because Shiloh is an Aurora native, and O’Connor hopes someone would do the same for him if any of his three kids were lost. Before he can even head into the woods, FBI agents show up, as well as an old casino gangster from Las Vegas. They, too, all want Shiloh found, but none will say exactly why. O’Connor, accompanied by two agents plus Raye, and a father and son from the local Anishinaabe tribe, packs up and heads out by canoe in what becomes a gritty, bloody adventure of considerable emotional depth. The action is deftly interspersed with glimpses of the terror Shiloh is enduring in the wilderness–at the hands of those who would bury an old crime–and with tense scenes back in Aurora, where O’Connor’s family and other townsfolk worry about the operation’s success. Krueger’s writing, strong and bold yet with the mature mark of restraint, pulls this exciting search-and-rescue mission through with a hard yank. – Publishers Weekly Review
Reader’s Note: Boundary Waters is the second book in the Cork O’Conner series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning checkout book one: Iron Lake (1998).
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Bury The Lead by Elizabeth Renzetti & Kate Hilton
A big-city journalist joins the staff of a small-town paper in cottage country and finds a community full of secrets … and murder. Cat Conway has recently returned to Port Ellis to work as a reporter at the Quill & Packet. She’s fled the tattered remains of her high-profile career and bad divorce for the holiday town of her childhood, famous for its butter tarts, theatre, and a century-old feud. One of Cat’s first assignments is to interview legendary actor Eliot Fraser, the lead in the theatre’s season opener of Inherit the Wind. When Eliot ends up dead onstage on opening night, the curtain rises on the sleepy town’s secrets. The suspects include the actor whose career Eliot ruined, the ex-wife he betrayed, the women he abused, and even the baker he wronged. With the attention of the world on Port Ellis, this story could be Cat’s chance to restore her reputation. But the police think she’s a suspect, and the murderer wants to kill the story—and her too. Can Cat solve the mystery before she loses her job or becomes the next victim of a killer with a theatrical bent for vengeance? – The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church It’s the mid-1960s, and Lorraine Delford has just turned 17. Not one to sit back and let life happen, Lorraine is a go-getter who likes to be first. She’s first in her class and hopes to become the first woman valedictorian at her high school. She’s also the first woman to lifeguard at the local pool. But it’s a different first that will forever change her life, after a pregnant Lorraine is rejected by her boyfriend and scorned by her parents, who pull her out of school and send her to a maternity home. The residence is not the salvation she’s expecting, and its promise to provide residents with the opportunity to get back to their normal lives rings hollow. As her stomach grows, so does Lorraine’s determination to keep the baby she’s come to love, and she decides to fight for what is rightfully hers.
VERDICT In this engaging, shocking, heart-wrenching story, readers are pulled along with Lorraine through the ups and downs of her pregnancy, optimistic for her future but saddened by its likely outcome. Fans of Church’s The Last Carolina Girl will be clamoring to read this one. –Library Journal
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If The Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer
Witemeyer continues her Texas Ever After series (after Fairest of Heart) with a spunky, Cinderella-inspired tale of unexpected love and intrigue set in the late 19th century. Samantha Dearing, the daughter of Palo Pinto County’s “cattle king,” is unamused by her father’s efforts to marry her off, trusting God to bring her the perfect man. So when a mysterious stranger breaks into the Dearing household and, while being chased off the premises, saves Samantha’s younger brother from drowning, she’s intrigued. The only clue to the intruder’s identity is the boot he left behind; unbeknownst to Samantha, it belongs to Asher Ellis, who seeks revenge on Mr. Dearing for evicting his family from their land. As Samantha, who’s eager to make a difference in the community, begins to tutor Asher’s younger brother in their rundown new home, an attraction blooms and Asher fights to keep from falling for her. Bigger problems arise, however, as mysterious threats are made on Samantha’s life, including an attempted arson. To help keep her safe, Asher and Mr. Dearing must find a way to work together. With a plot full of masked cowboys, family intrigue, and ranch politics, there’s ample suspense to keep readers turning pages, and the romance between Asher and Samantha offers just enough sweetness to balance things out. Witemeyer’s fans will be on the edge of their seats all the way through to the satisfying conclusion.
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One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley
Edie Green was a plain, friendless, working-class girl living in a small town in England. Her father died, and her mother had to work as a shop clerk and–embarrassingly for Edie–hold seances to make ends meet. One fateful afternoon, Edie sees Lucy Theddle, the mayor’s daughter, kissing a teacher, and Lucy begs Edie not to reveal her secret. But things take a tragic turn, and Lucy disappears. Despite an extensive search, no trace of Lucy is ever found. Edie is now an octogenarian with dementia, but she still remembers Lucy as clearly as if she were standing in front of her. Edie’s dementia is worsening, but when she is sure she sees Lucy outside the town post office one afternoon, she decides she must find out what happened to her friend. Critchley’s U.S. debut is a clever, keep-’em-guessing murder mystery, an empathetic yet realistic portrayal of the toll dementia takes, and a meditation on how the brain can bury the most tragic memories. Despite shocking, painful, sad moments, this is also an uplifting, sometimes humorous portrait of a feisty, admirable octogenarian who’s determined to do the right thing. An outstanding must-read. – Starred Booklist Review
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When the Jessamine Grows by Donna Everhart
For readers of Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier and Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles, an evocative, morally complex novel set in rural 19th century North Carolina, as one woman fights to keep her family united, her farm running, and her convictions whole during the most devastating and divisive period in American history. Talk of impending war is a steady drumbeat throughout North Carolina, though Joetta McBride pays it little heed. She and her husband, Ennis, have built a modest but happy life for themselves, raising two sons, fifteen-year-old Henry, and eleven-year-old Robert, on their small subsistence farm. They do not support the Confederacy’s position on slavery, but Joetta considers her family to be neutral, believing this is simply not their fight. Her opinion is not favored by many in their community, including Joetta’s own father-in-law, Rudean. A staunch Confederate supporter, he fills his grandsons’ heads with stories about the glory of battle and the Southern cause until one night Henry runs off to join the war. At Joetta’s frantic insistence, Ennis leaves to find their son and bring him home. But soon weeks pass with no word from father or son and Joetta is battered by the strain of running a farm with so little help. As the country becomes further entangled in the ramifications of war, Joetta finds herself increasingly at odds with those around her – until one act of kindness brings her family to the edge of even greater disaster. Though shunned and struggling to survive, Joetta remains committed to her principles, and to her belief that her family will survive. But the greatest tests are still to come – for a fractured nation, for Joetta, and for those she loves . . .
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Happy reading!
Linda Reimer, SSCL
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Have questions or want to request a book?
Feel free to call the library! Our telephone number is 607-936-3713.
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Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.
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Information on the three library catalogs
Digital Catalog: https://stls.overdrive.com/
The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout/download content to a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!
All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog.
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Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/
The Hoopla Catalog features instant checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 items per month.
Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders.
The Hoopla App is available for Android or Apple mobile devices, PCs, Macs*, smart TVs & media streaming players.
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StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org
Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System.
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*You must have an active Internet connection to access Hoopla content on a Mac.
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