Marisa's rating: 4 stars Fantastic, as always Alice Munro! In this collection Munro seems to be dealing w...moreTeton County Library Call number:F MUNRO (new)
Marisa's rating: 4 stars Fantastic, as always Alice Munro! In this collection Munro seems to be dealing with the issue of death and aging. She rarely has an overall theme to her short stories but you can tell these selected stories are all considering similar topics. I loved the addition of the more personal and autobiographical stories at the end. Munro has a way of making everyone appear perfectly human-- flawed and thoughtful. A real pleasure to read!(less)
TCL Call number: SF WILLINGHAM B Stephanie’s rating: 4 stars
"Peter & Max"...a fanciful feast of folklore! As a child, do you remember reading about...moreTCL Call number: SF WILLINGHAM B Stephanie’s rating: 4 stars
"Peter & Max"...a fanciful feast of folklore! As a child, do you remember reading about Hansel & Gretel, Snow White, Beauty & Beast, and all the other magical fairytales? Yes? No? Maybe so? In any case, I will let you know that this book is an adult version of all those stories combined, BUT with a special twist. It was originally crafted as a comic book story that was later transformed into a science fiction novel. This book is a dark fantasy tale of sibling rivalry where two brothers must duke it out to save the world (mundy's [regular folk like you and I] included). This is no mambo-jumbo. Author Bill Willingham has cleverly crafted a wonderful fable, and how could he not when his Fable comic book series has won a plethora of awards! Not into comic books? Give this book a GO! It’ll get you interested. (less)
Cindy's Rating: 4 stars Did you ever google something one day, and before you know it all sorts of invitations to trouble appear in...moreTCL Call #: F Gideon
Cindy's Rating: 4 stars Did you ever google something one day, and before you know it all sorts of invitations to trouble appear in your SPAM box? That's what happens to Alice Buckle (her google search: droopy eyelids)...which pretty much sums up the demographic of this read! I found this book to be fun and intriguing. I thought to myself, "That's exactly how I feel!"...more than once. This book is a modern take on real marriage in the 21st century.(less)
This is one of those hate-to-love-the-bad-guy books. It's really fun! Two professional murderer brothers go f...moreCall #: W DEWITT P
Adam's rating: 4 stars
This is one of those hate-to-love-the-bad-guy books. It's really fun! Two professional murderer brothers go from one adventure to the next in this picaresque western. It reads like a prosaic screenplay, indeed a page-turner, and we'll soon see it turned into a movie as the novel’s film rights have already been sold. So get to it before that so you don't have to read it with the actors' faces in your head!(less)
Set in current day London, The Sense of an Ending follows a man in his sixties looking back at certain events fro...moreTCL Call #: F Barnes J
Lokey - 4 stars
Set in current day London, The Sense of an Ending follows a man in his sixties looking back at certain events from youth and college that he feels shaped his life and that of a couple of his friends. In this work Barnes explores memory, pathos, perceptions and what influences perceptions, and other ideas rather than emphasizing character development. The book is unsettling in that one will continue to think about the ideas and concepts raised in the book after the cover is closed. Good book for Book Discussion Groups. Book left me with questions about why the main character thought so little of himself as the book ended. Well-written. Concise language is used to convey ideas.
Joe - 4 stars Quick read very enthralling. Lots of interesting conversations between characters in which McCarthy captures the di...moreTCL Call #: F McCarthy
Joe - 4 stars Quick read very enthralling. Lots of interesting conversations between characters in which McCarthy captures the dialect of the south Texas characters very well allowing you to get caught up in them. This book is very dark though, not a light read but very entertaining.(less)
Cindy's review - 4 stars This book is a fantastical tale based on Emmett Till's murder in Money Mississippi in 1955. I was interested to re...moreTCL Call #:
Cindy's review - 4 stars This book is a fantastical tale based on Emmett Till's murder in Money Mississippi in 1955. I was interested to read it, because of all the unfortunate episodes that happened (and continue to happen) in our country's civil rights history, the sad story of Emmett Till is one I can't forget. The town of Money Mississippi is the narrator in this story, and it traces the generations leading up to and from Emmett's murder in 1955. I was hoping for a different ending for Emmett in this fictional tale, but even though he dies the story offers a gentler conclusion. He is reunited in death with his childhood sweetheart, and there is some resolution. It ends with the arrival of Hurricane Katrina...a connection to the title. I loved the imagery, the magical-ness of this historical fiction read.
Cindy's Rating: 4 stars I found this story very captivating, couldn't wait to start reading it to see how what happens next. It tak...moreTCL Call # F Leary A
Cindy's Rating: 4 stars I found this story very captivating, couldn't wait to start reading it to see how what happens next. It takes place on Boston's historic North Shore and tells the story of Hildy Good. I thought it was intriguing that she was a descendant of an accused witch hung in Salem. The townies say she has inherited some psychic powers as well. However, this tale is really a portrait of alcoholism and the secrets and lies associated with it. Hildy is known by everyone in town and has a long checkered history there, so when newcomer Rebecca McAllister moves to town, Hildy sees the opportunity to make a new friend and start over. Rebecca brings her own set of secrets and lies with her, however, and the story quickly turns suspenseful, funny, poignant and tragic. Throughout, though, I felt alot of empathy for Hildy, always hoping she would triumph in her professional life, in love and with her daughters. A very satisfying read. (less)
It's a classic for a reason. I picked it up and couldn't put it down. It was a joy to be transplanted...moreTCL Call #: F Fitzgerald F
Adam's rating: 5 stars
It's a classic for a reason. I picked it up and couldn't put it down. It was a joy to be transplanted firmly in the 1920's and absorbed in the subtly abnormal plotline. I can't wait to see the movie!(less)
This is a coming-of-age novel about a boy that is trying to blend the mysticism of h...moreTeton County Library call #: Call #: F ANAYA
Adam's Rating: 4 stars
This is a coming-of-age novel about a boy that is trying to blend the mysticism of his indigenous roots and his grandma with the catholic religion of his mother. Anaya successfully takes the reader into the mind of 9-10 year old Antonio and let's you feel his fears and challenges as he comes face-to-face with extremely harrowing events. Within the first 10 pages, he witnesses a man get shot to death. Philosophical, theological, splashed with incidents of magic and fantasy, and action packed, this book rests nicely somewhere between a Life of Pi and Rain of Gold. I really enjoyed it. (less)
Review: Not as macabre as the title suggests. An appreciation for dark comedy is all you need to...moreCall Number: F Petrushevskaya
Oona's rating: four stars
Review: Not as macabre as the title suggests. An appreciation for dark comedy is all you need to enjoy these well-written short stories. Looking forward to reading her other book: There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill her Neighbor's Baby.(less)
TETON COUNTY LIBRARY CALL # F Pitts S Cindy's Review : 3 stars
Freeman is a historical fiction novel taking place immediately after the confederate surr...moreTETON COUNTY LIBRARY CALL # F Pitts S Cindy's Review : 3 stars
Freeman is a historical fiction novel taking place immediately after the confederate surrender and the assassination of President Lincoln. Alot has been written about this precarious period,a time of great promise and also great fear for newly freed black slaves. The author tells the tale of Sam, a former runaway slave, who is searching for his wife Tilda. He left her behind 15 years earlier in his quest for freedom. Tilda, although now a freed slave, is being forced by her former master to accompany him to a place where it is still acceptable to keep slaves. She is unable to break free of him, physically and emotionally. Prudence, a wealthy white northern woman, sets out to establish a school for former slaves. Although a noble quest, her actions bring about the most heartbreak in the book. The best part of the book was reading how these lives intersect, and the perspective each brings to the issue of slavery. This book attempts to reveal the tragedy of slavery, while telling a story of love, loss and betrayal through the three major characters. I found the alternating between serious historical fiction and romance novel disturbing to read. This is truly a dark time in American history, and it is always hard to read about the cruelty inflicted on the black population. Although 150 years have passed since 1865, it is no wonder the effects of slavery are still among us.(less)
Deb - 3 stars Interesting characters with kind of a slow start. This book explores choices made by a people of faith in the mids...moreTCL Call# F CHEVALIER T
Deb - 3 stars Interesting characters with kind of a slow start. This book explores choices made by a people of faith in the midst of the slavery/anti-slavery debate in the mid 19th century America.(less)
Marisa's rating: 5 stars There is a reason the official title of this play is "Doubt: A Parable". This quic...moreTeton County Library Call No: 812.54 SHANLEY
Marisa's rating: 5 stars There is a reason the official title of this play is "Doubt: A Parable". This quick read, is a beautifully written drama that questions what people decide is true and moral. The play also allows two extremely smart characters to go head-to-head, attempting to outwit and out-strategize the other. A fantastic play of wits, deduction and, of course, the Catholic Church. (less)
Marisa's rating: 4 stars Such an interesting read! This play takes place in the 1960s and then in the presen...moreTeton County Library Call No: 812.54 NORRIS
Marisa's rating: 4 stars Such an interesting read! This play takes place in the 1960s and then in the present time in a house in Clybourne Park, a neighborhood close to Chicago, IL. The two major plot lines connect through the setting and then also through the topics of racism, history and the meaning of the home in American society. Smart, witty and sometimes though provoking dialogue allows the characters to preform as if they were on on stage, right in front of the reader. Fantastic example of contemporary award winning play writing. (less)
Teton County Library Call No: F Lively P Cindy's Rating: 5 stars
If you enjoy reading Alice Munro's fiction you just might like Penelope Lively's short...moreTeton County Library Call No: F Lively P Cindy's Rating: 5 stars
If you enjoy reading Alice Munro's fiction you just might like Penelope Lively's short stories. While Munro's characters are often altered by chance encounters and random decisions sending them down strange and perilous new roads, Penelope Lively explores the paths not taken. "Somehow, choice and contingency have landed you where you are, and the whole process seems so precarious that you look back at those climatic moments when things might have gone entirely differently, when life might have spun off in some other direction, and wonder at this arbitrary outcome." so explains Penelope Lively about her novel. This book is about the author's roads not taken and the randomness of life itself. (less)
The ninth book in Jo Nesbo's crime series w...moreTeton County Library Call Number: F NESBO
Julia's Rating: 4 stars
Oh, Jo Nesbo! How could you do this to me!?
The ninth book in Jo Nesbo's crime series with leading man Harry Hole, a twisted, good-hearted cad who's always taken the law into his own hands (even after he's excommunicated from his official law enforcement post), immerses his readers in Hole's most personal and painful case to date. While Nesbo's series serves as a stellar example of plot-driven suspense that keeps readers up all night flipping page after page, his mysteries involved deep conflicted emotional struggles and a narrator, Hole, readers can't help but root for. The plot's central but the heart is all.
The Phantom is a gut-wrencher in the best way. Nesbo craftfully conjures the netherworlds of Oslo's drug-culture, casting light on shadowy operations, and readers familiar with Hole will be broken-hearted by who's fallen into such a dangerous crowd. The plot thickens, indeed.
But, Nesbo! The ending - a cliffhanger of epic proportions! The next book in the series cannot be published soon enough!
I found this book to be particularly interesting. Just look at the luminous cover! How to descri...moreTCL Call number: F SLOAN R
Stephanie's rating: 4 stars
I found this book to be particularly interesting. Just look at the luminous cover! How to describe “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore”…well think about this: secret societies and books. Did that arouse your curiosity? Okay how about computer algorithms and coding? Google? This book is a mesh between old school and new school. You have an enticing plot that involves high-tech imagery, and ancient philosophies that require its reader to solve the most appraising question in human history (which I will not disclose!). But wait there is more! Author Robin Sloan will have you asking yourself, “Why do I like to read books?”…you will ponder for a minute or two trying to allocate the right words to form a tantalizing response. Be quick! Oohh and on a final note; all books have secrets. Mr. Penumbra will simply want you to decode them :) Have fun reading!(less)
Teton County Call No: F O'Nan Cindy's Rating: 4 Stars
A Connecticut native myself, I was drawn to this novel, mostly because I was curious about a piece...moreTeton County Call No: F O'Nan Cindy's Rating: 4 Stars
A Connecticut native myself, I was drawn to this novel, mostly because I was curious about a piece of fiction that would have New Britain Connecticut as it's setting. Not alot happens from an action standpoint in this novel, which takes place in a Red Lobster restaurant on Christmas Eve, however Stewart O'Nan has a unique ability to create characters we care about and connect to. He captures the melancholy of Manny, the restaurant owner, the circumstances of his life and also the feeling I get whenever I pass through New Britain Connecticut. It is a novel rich in humanity, with witty observations and biting comedy. If you like Richard Russo, check out Stewart O'Nan. (less)
The first volume was quirky, charismatic, and admirable! It screamed "creativity"! Eve...moreTeton County Library Call No: SS TINY
Stephanie's Rating: 3 Stars
The first volume was quirky, charismatic, and admirable! It screamed "creativity"! Every page was filled with a story that ranged from congenial to melancholic. The artistry that followed each story was captivating. I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of volume 2...it was not what I thought it would be. It's definitely not as enticing as the first volume. The mood of this book is just depressing. Very dramatic and dark. The drawings were superb, as always, but the content is just not to par. I did find a handful of stories that were 'moving', but overall I found it 'just okay'. I'm still an avid fan of Mr. Joseph Gordon-Levitt though :)(less)
Cindy W.'s Rating: 4 stars “Where’d You Go Bernadette?” is an entertaining read. The book is populated by ecc...moreTeton County Library Call Number: F SEMPLE
Cindy W.'s Rating: 4 stars “Where’d You Go Bernadette?” is an entertaining read. The book is populated by eccentric, flawed, talented characters who, through LOL situations, get themselves into - and ultimately out of - destructive patterns which have put themselves and their families into downhill slides. A giant mudslide actually takes place in the book, landing (literally) tons of wet soil from the property of the protagonist into the home of one of the book’s antagonists. A funny scene. The story takes place in Seattle, LA, and Antarctica. Semple describes these settings with skill, making them all very palpable – the weather, the social tension, the beauty. She uses not only narrative but emails, FBI reports, letters and ship captain’s logs to tell her story. The technique reminded me a little of Jennifer Egan’s “Goonsquad” layout, although “Bernadette” is laid out chronologically, with fewer characters and a shorter time span. Semple was a TV comedy scriptwriter before writing fiction, so I was not surprised that her technique also reminded me a little of TV comedy shows – very short scenes from different perspectives that, when well done, tell a cohesive, humorous story.
Christy's Rating: 4 stars This book is hilarious, subtly so. No wonder the author wrote for Mad About You and Arrested Development. Satire in the form of correspondence. I think the fantastic cover art drew me in.
I just love the idea of a MacArthur-Award-Winning darling of the architecture world who disappears after her biggest triumph-come-disaster, then portrayed years later through the eyes of her daughter and the bohemian-bourgeoisie moms of a Seattle private school. That comedy of manners and intrigue is my favorite piece of the book. Then it turns to is-she-crazy-is-she-not, which makes her run away leaving her family to chase after.
Overall really enjoyable if not life-changing.
Marisa's Rating: 3 stars What a fun read! This epistolary (I just learned this great literary term from the fantastic book trailer for this novel)book was quite the fast read. I even laughed out loud a few times -- a sure sign of a fun novel! The sarcastic tone and hilarious correspondences kept me reading but the funny assessments of Seattle society kept me laughing. (less)
Beautifully crafted story. The illustrations were greatly appreciated. In thi...moreReview: TCL Call Number: Call #: F CISNEROS S
Stephanie's Rating: 4 stars
Beautifully crafted story. The illustrations were greatly appreciated. In this short story Sandra Cisneros writes about grief. The loss of a mother intertwined with the escape of a cat named Marie. Sometimes in the beginning things like these don't make sense, but eventually everything comes full circle in the end. Cisneros "Afterword" will definitely give you some insight into her powerful story telling methods. (less)
Deb - 1 star I'm a big fan of McEwan's writing. Love his characters and style. But I tried and tried to get into this book, and just...moreTCL Call# F McEwan
Deb - 1 star I'm a big fan of McEwan's writing. Love his characters and style. But I tried and tried to get into this book, and just couldn't. Maybe I didn't read far enough for the main character, Serena, to seem like she had any depth. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for what seemed like a lot of silliness in the spy game arena. I'll have to try this one again later.(less)
Marisa's Rating: 4 stars I had only read Louise Erdirch's "Love Medicine" previous to picking up "The Round...moreTeton County Library Call Bumber: F ERDRICH
Marisa's Rating: 4 stars I had only read Louise Erdirch's "Love Medicine" previous to picking up "The Round House". I loved that Erdrich began with an idea to write about the judicial gaps between federal and Native American law when it comes to rape. Fiction can be an inspiration for change, or can highlight a current issue (for example, "To Kill a Mockingbird", and Erdrich displays this expertly.Her narrator, Joe, is looking back on the traumatic experience with the perfect voice of a 13 year old. I also appreciated how her was able to work Native American folk stories into the plot and ambiance of the novel.(less)
Dimmie 5 stars An excellent reference to anyone interested in improving their garden soil. There is an interesting history about composting...more631.8 Rodale
Dimmie 5 stars An excellent reference to anyone interested in improving their garden soil. There is an interesting history about composting in the first part of the book, then clear scientific information about what composting does in the garden and for the planet. There are diagrams of different compost set ups and recommendations on how to keep a compost pile healthy.(less)
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