Hilda C. Landers Library & Archives

I just finished the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It was a quick read and extremely entertaining. The story was easy to follow and is appropriate for young adults through adults. It was easy to relate to the characters and root for the Hunger Game participants. it was hard to put the book down since I continuously wanted to know what the outcome would be. I did enjoy all the twists and turns throughout the story that kept the reader guessing without adding unnecessary text and Collins still kept the story moving. Perfect for adventure readers and those looking for a fast read.

Availability: SMCM Library and COSMOS
Review Submitted by: Mandy Reinig
Rating: Must Read

The Library at St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s Summer Reading Program will begin on June 4 and  end on August 17, 2012.

The Summer Reading program is open to all members of the SMCM Library community including students, staff, faculty, alumni and residents of the Tri-County area (St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties.) You may read anything you like as long as a copy is available at the SMCM Library or via the USMAI or COSMOS catalogs. To get points you must post a review on the blog.

See About Summer Reading for more information.

But the big prize goes to Kevin Oldfield (11 reviews) and Marissa Parlock (10 reviews). Both win a bag of library swag; books, pens, posters, bookmarks and more.

The winners of the monthly prize drawing are:
June: Kevin Oldfield
July: Marissa Parlock
                               August: Lauren Grey

Don’t forget to pick up your prizes (Library 126)
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.

This is the best novella I have read in recent memory. Haldeman’s The Hemingway Hoax won a Hugo and Nebula in the nineties. The tale concerns an English Professor named John Baird who meets a conman named Sylvester Castlemaine. Castlemaine, with a bit of help from Baird’s wife Lena, convinces Baird to help him fabricate Hemingway’s first novel, and several short stories stolen from Hadley Hemingway on a train ride to Lausanne in 1921. Baird soon discovers that his con will have a dramatic effect upon the future of humanity.

The Hemingway Hoax was a very good read; Haldeman excels at creating humor through incongruity. Haldeman borrows chapter titles from Hemingway’s novels and short stories then connects the content of his chapters with the content of Hemingway’s works in clever ways. For example, a chapter entitled Sun Also Rises deals with maiming and war injuries. The Hemingway Hoax also reveals several interesting facts about the life of Ernst Hemingway; namely that he rewrote his life story at least once and that he wasn’t always a rugged individualist. I highly recommend The Hemingway Hoax.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Kevin Oldfield
Rating: Highly Recommended

It was a bit of a challenge to read The Maltese Falcon. Even though Hammett describes Spade as “a blond Satan” with “stooped shoulders” it was difficult for me not to envision Spade as Bogart. Secondly, The Maltese Falcon has been parodied so many times, by people like Woody Allen and Garrison Keillor, that sometimes it was difficult for me not to laugh when I read the scenes that inspired parody i.e. When “Miss Wonderly” hires Archer and Spade and when Gutman explains why he wants the Falcon.

Although, it was well worth the effort, just for the way Hammett describes spade rolling a cigarette. The ending is quite a bit different from the film. Lastly, The Maltese Falcon is also the story that started a genre; herein are double crosses, within double-crosses, a femme fatale, and potboiler suspense. I highly recommend The Maltese Falcon to anyone who is a fan of Noir or old movies.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Kevin Oldfield
Rating: Highly Recommended

Thanks to all the readers who posted reviews on our Summer Reading blog. Reviews received before the deadline will be posted today.

This short story collection by Hugo and Nebula winning author Joe Haldeman contains some of his best short stories. “More Than the Sum of His Parts” is a science fiction horror story, in the vein of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man. A man is badly burned in an accident and has an arm, half his face, and various other tissues and organs replaced with powerful prosthetic parts. Invariably, power corrupts him.

The most worthwhile read in the anthology is “You Can Never Go Home.” This short story is, in actuality, the second part of Haldeman’s novel The Forever War. Haldeman’s first draft was regarded as too depressing, by his editor. “You Can Never Go Home” is a Vietnam era narrative set on earth between linked war stories; it describes the alienation and confusion of soldiers returning to a homeland they scarce recognize. Haldeman’s anthology contains many other good reads, i.e. ” Lindsay and the Red City Blues” and “Manifest Destiny.” I highly recommend Dealing in Futures.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Kevin Oldfield
Rating: Highly Recommended

Joe Haldeman has written many good novels during his career; although Camouflage has some entertaining anecdotes it seems a bit burdened with clichés. Indeed, the plot centers around two aliens; one of whom is nearly identical to Robert Patrick’s character in Terminator II. Secondly, there’s a great deal of gratuitous violence; the scene where the changeling is introduced to a lovely blond Dutch Painter is particularly disturbing.

There isn’t a great deal of character development and the plot reminded me of another James Cameron movie, The Abyss. Although, Haldeman’s prose is sharp, lucid, and witty; as always. If you are on a trip and you need something to read you could do a lot worse than Camouflage. So I recommend Camouflage with a word of warning about the gratuitous violence and the recycled plot.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Kevin Oldfield
Rating: Recommended with Reservations

Animal Farm was never a required read for me in high school, though it was for many people I knew. Because I already knew the basic plot/storyline, I decided to read it for myself. I am glad I did. It was an enjoyable and easy read. On the literal level, it is about a bunch of farm animals who are tired of being told what to do by Mr. Jones and revolt. On the figurative level, it is about Communist Russia. I recommend that if you have never read it before, please read it. It is much better than 1984, I promise.

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

The Red Pony is a collection of short stories that focuses on a boy named Jody growing up on a ranch in the 1920’s. In my opinion, each of these stories really has no point and does not contain an over-arching theme. Unless, of course, that theme is how depressing can a young boy’s life be. Others have said that it is a book about reaching maturity and learning how to handle whatever life throws at you, or something like that. I just could not enjoy this book, and I would never recommend this to anyone.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Marissa Parlock
Rating: Not Recommended