Hilda C. Landers Library & Archives

Mort is a wonderful novella by Terry Pratchett that tells the tale of a boy who becomes Death’s apprentice. The book is set in Pratchett’s personal fictional setting Discworld, though no prior knowledge or reading is needed to enjoy this book. The humor is very sharp and dry, and the characters are wonderfully detailed. Pratchett’s interpretation of the Grim Reaper himself is probably the best part, offering a very unique spin on the centuries old icon.

Availability: USMAI
Submitted by: Kevin Koeser
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Monsters of Templeton is about a young woman [Willie], who had an unorthodox upbringing, and her journey to find herself. The book begins with Willie, an educated anthropologist, returning to her family home in Templeton. She’s distressed over an affair with her married mentor and the discovery that she is not the product of her mother’s 1970’s hippie lifestyle; her father actually lives in Templeton. As the story progresses the writer flips between Willie’s historical ancestors and her life in the present day. The book has photos of her ancestors, their diary’s and the family tree. As I read this book, I found myself caring less about Willie’s personal life and her struggle to find her own identity, and more interested in her colorful and somewhat neurotic ancestors.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Cheryl Colson
Rating: Recommended

The Ominous Omnibus by Lemony Snicket is composed of the first three books of The Series of Unfortunate Events saga. Although these books are marketed towards children, they are rather dark and the literary allusions makes the stories an enjoyable read for all ages. I would consider this a must read.

The Omnibus includes The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room and The Wide Window.

Availability: Individual titles via USMAI
Review Submitted by: Katie Schreven
Rating: Must Read

Ever on the hunt for something to appease my nerves for grad school, I picked up this book on a whim from the library. I know that I worry more than the average person; sometimes I appreciate that it keeps me alert and vigilant, but I also know that it distracts and stresses me. This book was simple and readable, with lots of stories of anonymous patients as examples. It was hard for me to get through the book because I could see certain bits of each example in myself, and sometimes it…well, worried me. The last chapter offers 50 ways to combat worry in its tracks, ways to form new habits and hopefully, eventually, “re-wire” the brain. Although an interesting and potentially helpful book, the most important aspect I took from it was confidence to know it’s okay to seek help or talk to another person when feeling overwhelmed…which most of us already know, right?

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Jordan Gaines
Rating: Recommended

Looking ahead to next year’s Summer Reading? Take a look at The Millions Fall preview. I’m looking forward to October, when IQ84 by Haruki Murakami and Zone One by Colson Whitehead will be published.

The literary story so far in 2011 has certainly been the posthumous publication David Foster Wallace’s The Pale King — though folks like Tea Obreht, Kate Christensen, and Ann Patchett have grabbed their share of the literary limelight. While the second half of 2011 is unlike to produce a media whirlwind to match the one that accompanied The Pale King this spring (or Freedom last year, for that matter), we will see new books from some heavyweights, including Haruki Murakami, Jeffrey Eugenides (both in October), and Don DeLillo (in November).

But, even as fans look forward to books from these favorites, there will undoubtedly be many new discoveries in the coming months as well, some of which, hopefully, we can introduce you to today.

See the complete list at The Millions : Most Anticipated: The Great Second-Half 2011 Book Preview.

Interested in getting a little advanced reading done? Post a review in July and you will be entered into a drawing for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Agent 6 or Pure.

My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me, edited by Kate Bernheimer, is a volume containing forty new fairy tales, each written by a different author. While each story can be read as a standalone, I would not suggest them for younger children. Although the stories invented are unique in their own way, in some instances they are so bogged down with symbolism that it detracted from the overall tale. I would recommend this book, my personal favorites from the collection are: “The Mermaid in the Tree” and “The Brother and the Bird.”

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Katie Schreven
Rating: Recommended

The Reader by Bernhard Schlick was a quick read. I’d seen the film two years ago and while I remembered few details, it all came back to me when reading the novel. It is an interesting premise: a 15-year old boy falls in love with a woman in her mid-30s. When she disappears one day and reappears on trial years later during his time as a law student, he discovers a secret about her that would only save her if she were not too proud to admit it. The storyline only elevates from there. This is an interesting piece of writing not only because of the plot, but also because I’d never read a “Nazi fiction” book before. The novel even dabbles in philosophy, to a degree, having been written by a German jurist.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Jordan Gaines
Rating: Highly Recommended

Kevin Oldfield has won the monthly prize drawing for June.

Submit a review in July to be eligible for the our next drawing. Don’t forget prizes are available for all participants who submit a review between June 1 and August 15.

1. Submit one review and win a mini puzzle.
2. Submit three reviews and win a set of postcards.
3. Submit five reviews and win a poster from Unshelved.
4. Submit seven reviews and win a refrigerator magnet.
5. Submit 10 reviews and win a bag of library swag.
6. Monthly prize drawings.

Everybody is familiar with the legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. These stories are a huge part of our culture, where there are so many books written and movies made on this age of chivalry. The time where there was always a damsel in distress, a danger to face, a jousting tournament to be won, and honor to be earned. This is where all this obsession started, with a book an “errant knight” wrote while he was imprisoned. Le Morte d’Arthur is full of the epic jousting and damsel saving you’ve been accustomed to over the years. It was interesting to read, though some parts are a little dry. It is also written in the vernacular, though you half expect it to be written in Old English at first.

I recommend this book, but only if you are willing to put effort into understanding this book, and especially if you are not looking for something quick. There are a lot of knights, and some of them have similar names, such as the brothers Sir Gawain, Sir Gaheris, and Sir Gareth. Not sure about the version that’s available through USMAI, but the version I happened to own published through Signet Classics has a list of every major knight and a description of what happened to each knight. No matter what version you read, some kind of accompaniment to the story is necessary, otherwise you will be left saying “What happened to that knight again?” or “When did he die?”

There is also an endless cycle of jousting and fighting. Basically, anytime a knight would meet another knight, they would enter into a jousting and sword fighting battle which would last until one either dies or yields to the other knight. It can get irritating, especially when they enter into an epic battle that lasts hours before they ask each other who they are. Remember, every knight wears full armor, and the only way they can tell who is who is by using the symbol on their shields. There were occasions, though, that a knight would switch shields and armor with another just so they would not be recognized. There were times in the book where two knights, say Sir Tristam and Sir Launcelot, would fight each other for hours, find out the other’s identity, then feel sorrow for even battling together in the first place as they were friends or fellow knights of the Round Table.

So, if you’re interested somewhat in the legends of King Arthur, then give this book a try. Oh, and if you’re like me and have seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail more times than you can count, it helps to picture John Cleese as Sir Launcelot and Graham Chapman as King Arthur. It’s more interesting that way.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Marissa Parlock
Rating: Recommended

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture was a decent read. Although it focuses on the sexualization of girls from an early age, it revolves around the experience of the white upper-middle class. While the author does make some efforts to address the existing virgin-whore dichotomy in Western society, she also perpetuates this within her writing. I would say this is recommended with reservations.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Katie Schreven
Rating: Recommended with Reservations