Director of Programs and Education Martha Williams recommends The Antidote by Karen Russell. I have long been a fan of Karen Russell and her zany hyper-realism. But even if you didn’t love Swamplandia (her first novel set in a gator-wrestling theme park in the Everglades) or short stories like “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves,” where fifteen girls are painstakingly reeducated by nuns, I hope you’ll be intrigued by The Antidote—Russell’s most sweeping narrative yet. Set during … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Antidote
Staff Reviews: Books, Films, Music, and More
Champagne!
Gold Mine Processing Manager Kelly Noble offers an interactive book and film review on the subject of champagne. For readers 21 years or older. Champagne: How the World's Most Glorious Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times by Don and Petie Kladstrup. A Year in Champagne: The History of the Champagne Region in France, a video available on Kanopy. Champagne, sparkling wine, Cava, and last but not least, Prosecco, are all forms of carbonated wine. The history of this product begins … [Read more...] about Champagne!
Book Review: Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Collections Manager Aly Wepplo recommends Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. Twenty-year-old Margo Millet has no job, no money, and a new baby. The baby's father wants nothing to do with the child. Her roommates move out, unable to live with a crying infant, and her parents have never been much help. Margo's life is a disaster. But she’s a great mom, and baby Bodhi is the love of her life.The thing about being a disaster is that it's very expensive. And waiting tables won't pay for … [Read more...] about Book Review: Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Book Review: The Giver
Gold Mine Thrift Product Quality Supervisor Ingrid Roman recommends The Giver by Lois Lowry. The Giver is a novel about a boy named Jonas who lives in a seemingly perfect society where emotions have been suppressed in order to maintain a functional community. Basic emotions such as happiness, love, or anger are unknown, as they are believed to interfere with individual efficiency. Sameness is considered more practical; therefore, differences of any kind are eliminated. When Jonas is … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Giver
Book Review: Lessons from My Teachers
Library Assistant Leona Anthony recommends Lessons from My Teachers: Preschool to the Present by Sarah Ruhl. Say the word "teacher," and what often comes to mind is an elementary or high school teacher. In Lessons from My Teachers: Preschool to the Present, author Sarah Ruhl reminds us that teachers are everywhere and not just in classrooms. Our first teachers could be a mother, father, grandmother, or other family member. As we navigate the education system, we become students not only of … [Read more...] about Book Review: Lessons from My Teachers
Book Review: The Stranger
Gold Mine Processing Associate Ben Kreuzer recommends The Stranger by Albert Camus. "Today, Maman died." The blunt opening lines of Albert Camus' The Stranger perfectly drag you into the classical French novel, where Meursault's unflinching straightforwardness, bordering on complete disinterest to everything, is brought to bear against the hot, vibrant world that surrounds him. The beautiful Algerian coast and its myriad inhabitants are as familiar strangers to both the reader and … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Stranger
