The Cellist of Sarajevo

The Cellist of Sarajevo
By Steven Galloway
Riverhead Books, 2008. 235 pages. Fiction

While a cellist plays at the site of a mortar attack to commemorate the deaths of twenty-two friends and neighbors, a woman sniper secretly protects the life of the cellist as her army becomes increasingly threatening.

The novel follows four characters, including the cellist and the sniper, over a brief time during the Siege of Sarajevo. The characters react to life in a war zone and try to maintain their humanity in the midst of sniper shootings and shellings. This is a moving, well-written novel that is particularly thought-provoking considering recent political upheaval and violence.

LF

Death of a Chimney Sweep

Death of a Chimney Sweep: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery
By M.C. Beaton
Grand Central Publishing, 2011. 247 pages. Mystery

In the isolated villages of northern Scotland, the residents rely on chimney sweep Pete Ray. After Police Constable Hamish Macbeth finds a dead body stuffed inside a chimney, the entire town of Lochdubh suspects Pete. Then Pete’s body is found on the Scottish moors, and the mystery deepens.

I have a crush on Hamish Macbeth and look forward to every new book in the series. Since I long ago reconciled myself to the idea that Hamish will never progress in either his personal or professional life, I was able to enjoy this cottage mystery without expectations. I found it to be as light and charming a read as its predecessors. Although Chimney Sweep is the 27th entry in the Hamish Macbeth series, it can easily stand alone.

LF

Beowulf on the Beach

Beowulf on the Beach: What to Love and What to Skip in Literature’s 50 Greatest Hits
By Jack Murnighan
Three Rivers Press, 2009. 374 pages. Nonfiction

Writer and professor Jack Murnighan says it’s time to give literature another look, but this time you’ll enjoy yourself. With a little help, you’ll see just how great the great books are: how they can make you laugh, moisten your eyes, and leave you awestruck and deeply moved. Beowulf on the Beach is your field guide for helping you read and relish fifty of the biggest (and most skipped) classics of all time. For each book, Murnighan reveals how to get the most out of your reading and provides a crib sheet that includes the Buzz, the Best Line, What’s Sexy, and What to Skip.

This book is probably most appealing to people who are already lovers of classic literature and would be little help for a non-reader looking for a quick summary of storylines. Although I rarely agreed with Murnighan’s What to Skip recommendations—the first chapters of Jane Eyre? the last chapters of Pride and Prejudice? really?—I did enjoy reminiscing over my favorite classic literature, and learning more about books I haven’t yet read, with someone who clearly enjoys reading the classics as well.

LF

All in the Family

All in the Family: A Look-It-Up Guide to the In-laws, Outlaws, and Offspring of Mythology
By Steven Otfinofski
F. Watts/Scholastic, 2010. 128 pages. Young Adult Nonfiction

What would Apollo's online profile look like? What would Aphrodite say if she had her own blog? Greek mythology hall of famers meet the modern age in a new series that brings the superstars of Greek myth to life with stories that put them in the pantheon. Complete with profiles, headshots, family trees, fascinating sidebars and irreverent surprises, Mythlopedia is for readers who love action, romance, power struggles and more.

This entry in the Mythlopedia series, directed at a young adult audience, profiles the lives (and usually deaths) of several non-Olympian heroes and mortals. At times, Otfinofski tries too hard to sound hip (Midas: “Aw, snap! Check this out, player—anything I touch turns to gold!”), but most of the information is provided in a concise, easy to understand format. The book is a good resource for anyone trying to understand basic plots of Greek mythology, but despite its attempts to make family connections clear, I still find the Olympian family tree a muddled mess.

LF

There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor’s Baby: Scary Fairy Tales

There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor’s Baby: Scary Fairy Tales
By Ludmilla Petrushevskaya
Penguin Books, 2009. 206 pages. Fiction

This volume of otherworldly tales by an award-winning Russian author blends fantastical and macabre themes in a treasury that incorporates supernatural and darkly whimsical storylines.

I had high hopes for this short story collection. For one, I couldn’t resist its title. I also have an affinity for Eastern European literature. Sadly, the first few stories left me disappointed. Although the author is Russian and the stories take place in Russia, I felt like I'd heard many of them before. In fact, some read like a rehash of scary stories I heard at sleepovers as a child. I also felt no spark in the writing—which might have been a problem with the translation. The more I read, though, the more interesting the narratives became. I got into Petrushevskaya's rhythm and found the stories fascinating although traditional. I wouldn’t describe the book as scary, but it definitely leans towards the morbid.

LF

Tablet & Pen : Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East

Tablet & Pen : Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East
By Reza Aslan (Editor)
W.W. Norton, and Co., 2010. 657 pgs. Nonfiction

Tablet & Pen is a collection of short stories, memoirs, essays, and poems by both contemporary and historical Middle Eastern authors from such countries as Morocco, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan. Editor Aslan's goal is to provide "a different, more authentic perception of this rich and complex region."

Readers interested in literature will enjoy this collection from an often misunderstood area of the world. The stories and poems from authors including Nobel Prize Laureates Orhan Pamuk and Naguib Mahfouz offer a glimpse into life in the Middle East during the last century. Readers may be surprised to discover that the Muslim world, and literary tradition, shares as many similarities as it does differences with the Western world.

LF

The House of Dead Maids

The House of Dead Maids
By Clare B. Dunkle
Henry Holt, 2010. 146 pgs. Young Adult

Eleven-year-old Tabby Aykroyd, who would later serve as housekeeper for thirty years to the Brontë sisters, is taken from an orphanage to a ghost-filled house, where she and a wild young boy are needed for a pagan ritual.

Dunkle’s novel is a fast, enjoyable read and maintains a consistently unsettling atmosphere throughout. The book cover claims the novel is “A Chilling Prelude to Wuthering Heights,” and Dunkle ties the story to the Brontë family in the last few pages; however, I found this maneuvering unfortunate and gimmicky. The book could easily stand alone as a dark glimpse into pagan Victorian England and only loses credibility by trying to piggyback on the Brontës’ fame.

LF

Room: A Novel

Room: A Novel
By Emma Donoghue
Little, Brown, and Co., 2010. 321 pgs. Fiction

Five-year-old Jack narrates a riveting story about his life growing up in a single room where his mother aims to protect him from the man who has held her prisoner for seven years since she was a teenager.

A lot of buzz has surrounded Donoghue’s latest novel. Although the reality of teenagers and children held captive for years seems to be becoming more prevalent, the most intriguing element of the book is the young narrator. Donoghue does a good job of revealing and unraveling a disturbing, adult story from a child’s perspective. Unfortunately, the voice of the young narrator is often jarringly inconsistent. At times, Jack sounds like a caveman. At other times, he has the vocabulary of a PhD. Overall, though, the tale of what Jack’s mother does to survive and protect her son, and the consequences of their captivity, is an intriguing one.

LF

Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure

Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure
by Emma Campbell Webster
Riverhead Books, 2007. 352 pgs. Fiction

Your name: Elizabeth Bennet. Your mission: to marry both prudently and for love, avoiding family scandal. Equipped with only your sharp wit, natural good sense, and tolerable beauty, you must navigate your way through a variety of decisions that will determine your own romantic (and financial) fate. Ever wonder what would happen if Elizabeth accepted Mr. Darcy’s proposal the first time around? Or ran from his arms into those of Persuasion’s Captain Wentworth? Now is your chance to find out.

This grown-up Choose Your Own Adventure novel is an irresistible draw for any Janeite. Although the book is essentially a retelling of all Austen’s novels, the enjoyment comes in imagining what would have happened if Elizabeth Bennet had married Willoughby or Mr. Knightley rather than Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth’s fate often ends in failure (or worse), but the novel is all in good fun.

LF

The Best Birth: Your Guide to the Safest, Healthiest, Most Satisfying Labor and Delivery

The Best Birth: Your Guide to the Safest, Healthiest, Most Satisfying Labor and Delivery
By Sarah McMoyler
Da Capo Press, 2008. 262 pgs. Nonfiction

Most expectant mothers must decide whether or not to have a “natural” childbirth or one using “medical pain-management options.” This book promotes the “McMoyler Method, the childbirth method for the twenty-first century.” Who is McMoyler of the McMoyler Method? Sarah McMoyler, the author and a labor and delivery nurse.

Ultimately, the book is less about promoting a certain method and more about providing a good discussion of what to expect during a natural, medicated, or caesarean childbirth. The author also includes helpful tips for what to bring to the hospital, how the husband or partner can be more involved in childbirth, the role of each member on the hospital staff, and even some of the nitty-gritty details women may not know about the birthing and recovery process.

This book is a manageable length and can be a helpful resource for any woman expecting a baby and looking for more information on the process.

LF