Staff Reviews: Books, Films, Music, and More

Children’s Librarian Polly Hopkins recommends The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is one of few books that I’ve read and had the ability to remember (sadly), and I can also recall the profound and lasting effect it had on me.

Prior to reading it, I had no idea what the premise of the story would be. I’m a dog fanatic and the book was a gift from my mom, who likely chose it solely based on the word “dog” being part of the title. It turned out to be a total page-turner and moved me to tears.

There aren’t many books I have read more than once, but this one I have. I’ll be ready for my fourth go-around soon.

The book’s title not only alludes to the plot, but also imitates the style of writing contained within—the wording is simple and straightforward, and the book itself is relatively short. It is written from the perspective of a young autistic boy. My guess is that he would likely land around the middle of the autism spectrum, and author Mark Haddon perfectly and consistently portrays the boy’s level of functioning. The plot is compelling, even while through most of it nothing terribly remarkable occurs.

But don’t be misled: there are surprising and unexpected events that unfold.

Through much of the book, the boy describes his lifestyle and interactions with his father; their relationship is complex and somewhat strained. As the reader gets further into it, the story becomes increasingly gripping. I won’t provide specific details… I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone who hasn’t yet read it! It’s a brilliant novel, and I encourage anyone looking for a simple yet thrilling story to give it a shot.

Find it in print and ebook here.

Children’s Librarian, Helen Morgus, recommends Taylor Swift’s books and music.

Can we talk about Taylor Swift?   

If you are a Boomer, as I am, your first reaction could be “Why? Do we have to?”    

Dear reader, I urge you not to underestimate the power of this bedazzling woman over the people you love. Or it may just be culturally useful for you to understand Taylor Swift’s hold on the affections of people as diverse as four-year old boys, 30-year old women, and David Brooks and Stephen Colbert (both admitted Swifties). Or moms of Millennials, like me, for that matter. 

So what is it about Taylor Swift? Of course, she is blonde, beautiful, successful, and famous—things that people of the industrialized world love. There is power in that. And more about her can be answered in either of the biographies in the Children’s Library (J 920 SWI); or in several downloadable ebooks on Overdrive (Libby).

Another fabulous source is Sam Lansky’s December 6, 2022,article in Time that features her as Person of the Year 2023. This piece, in which she participated, traces the trajectory of her career, with its lovers and haters; describes her current world tour and the accompanying film (The Eras Tour, a three-hour “feminine extravaganza” featuring songs from each of her albums); reveals her connection with her fans; and honors her as a creative, vulnerable, generous human being. Very worth looking up and reading on Time’s website, which you can access on the computers in the Learning Commons, or at home.   

But you won’t know Taylor Swift’s power until you listen to her music. 

And if you are a Boomer, as I am, you may still have a CD player.  The Library has many of her albums in the Adult CD Music section (POP CD SWIFT), from her second album, Fearless, released when she was 18 years old, to her 2024 album, The Tortured Poet’s Department, which arrives on our shelves soon.  

My own musical exposure began with Pete Seeger and other folk-influenced musicians of the 1960s. I moved on to the Beatles, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac. Following this thread, my favorites out of Taylor Swift’s broad oeuvre are two “sister” albums, released in 2020, folklore and evermore. 

Try either of these albums if you want a gentle, smooth  onramp to Swiftworld.

Musically, she sets aside the hard-driving pop and the twangy country vibes of her previous work, and turns toward folk rhythms and softer acoustic arrangements. Her lyrics bloom into deeply imagined stories. In her liner notes for folklore, she says “It started with imagery. Visuals that popped into my mind and piqued my curiosity. . .Pretty soon these images in my head grew faces or names and became characters.”

Early on, critics berated Swift’s singing voice, and in typical “I’ll show them” fashion, she got some serious voice training. On her Eras Tour, she sings in a range of genres with skill, confidence, and uncanny endurance. But the songs on folklore and evermore make the most of Swift’s thin, breathy alto—to intense emotional effect.

This is Taylor Swift’s superpower: her lyrics—often but not always personal stories—are eerily transcendent, especially sung in her own voice.

As one fan puts it “She’s so good at making her personal experience relate to millions of people. When I listen to her songs, I think about what I’ve been through—not what she’s been through.” When World Cup skier Mikaela Shiffrin’s father suddenly died in 2020, Shiffrin played Swift’s elegiac Epiphany from folklore on repeat to help her grieve.  

I do think there are underlying reasons for Swift’s emotional power. We are a people who hunger for authenticity in this age of Instagram perfection, for honesty amid misinformation, and to make unity out of our tired divisions. The Eras Tour is a worldwide lovefest that momentarily, at least, promotes civic healing—and joy! Taylor Swift’s fans took a lyric from one of her songs and started a trend of swapping friendship bracelets at her concerts—strangers reaching out to one another.  

Is the behavior of Taylor Swift’s fans a sign of a potential seismic cultural shift? Let’s hope so. I would not put it past Taylor Swift to make a better future happen. So start here, with me, her music in your ears, worming into your heart.  

Find all our titles on Taylor Swift here.

Gold Mine Processing Associate, Josh Greenburg, recommends The Seven Stars Trilogy by AJ Super.

The Seven Stars Saga trilogy is a villain origin-to-redemption story following Nyx Marcus, a space pirate turned AI God whose sole goal is to protect those she sees as family. But as her family expands, so does her need for the power to defend her universe…

…until she becomes the villain that she was trying to prevent.

The main premise is the question of whether a villain deserves redemption no matter how pure their intentions are when wielding their power. Nyx may or may not find redemption in the end but she could find a sense of peace.

The Seven Stars Saga is an incredible epic of finding power, losing one’s identity, and overcoming the power to find that identity again. Nyx’s struggles throughout the story are relatable despite the sheer monstrosity. Wood River Valley author AJ Super does a fantastic job melding magic into technology in this soft-science fiction, fast-paced page-turner.

The entire space saga trilogy is an incredible exploration of how even the most innocent of choices can result in villainous intent.

The journey that Nyx takes through several unique worlds while traveling in the wonders of space in extraordinary spaceships is fresh and exciting, and the characters are easy to identify with, interesting, and dynamic.

Of course, as the author’s spouse, I could be a bit biased, but I highly recommend that you check out the books from The Community Library in Ketchum. Find them in our collection here:

Erebus Dawning
A Star Reborn
Queen of the Black

Librarian and English Language Learning Instructor Janet Ross-Heiner recommends On All Fronts by Clarissa Ward.

It is July, the time when our valley of cottonwood comes alive! The little pinhead unvarnished town (as someone noted) welcomes all with grandeur. The green hillsides are popping with color. The airstrip glistens of winged metal and aluminum fiber under the shadows of scattered cumulus clouds. Allen & Company arrives first and then the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference (SVWC). We eagerly wait! The Community Library savors the SVWC. Revving up literally! Do you know one can buy a 3-day pass to the SVWC Live Streamed Watch Party at The Argyros? Go to the SVWC.com website! 

Part of the appeal of book reviewing is that one can exist in the same moment as the writer. That is exciting and risky because you do not have anyone else’s thoughts to mediate between you and the book.

On All Fronts invites the reader into war conflicts and a journalist’s life. Clarissa Ward has a fierce intellect and a passion for broad perspectives of journalism, most of all getting the news to people. As our multipolar world today is changing, journalists are being targeted around the globe—most aggressively in Gaza.

Every journalist killed is a further blow to our understanding of the world. 

Clarissa Ward’s memoir bearing witness to war is impressive. When the World Trade Centers’ Twin Towers were hit in 2001, Clarissa made it her mission to seek the story on the front and firsthand. Her career started in 2002 as an intern at CNN’S Moscow bureau. She speaks six languages including Arabic, French, Italian, Russian, Mandarin and Spanish, and graduated with distinction from Yale University. Her career story is evocative and engaging.

Her writing invites the reader to see and understand conflicts from both sides.

Her unique expertise opens an aperture with insight, as she shares how professional journalism got the war in Iraq wrong. Tricks were being tactfully used to leak disinformation. Illusions were created, and there is an argument lifted to acknowledge truth. Clarissa has a critical eye when it comes to war.  

 What I loved about her extraordinary story was her witness to the truth.

She accompanied the people, she sat with the Taliban with reciprocal respect. Clarissa felt coming back from war was harder than being there. How to balance two realities. How to straddle two worlds, how to square the different lives. The book is riveted with smarts, family, empathy, and geopolitical questioning with strong reporting. As an extraordinary journalist, Clarissa exemplified in her critical writing; one person’s terrorists are another person’s freedom fighters.  When I lived in Nicaragua during the Contra war, I used the same phrase frequently.  

Clarissa’s lens is wide; living in Beijing, Baghdad, Beirut, Moscow, London, and New York, along with reporting in and out of major hot spots in the world. I invite you to discover Clarissa Ward and her fine book On All Fronts. 

Find it in our collection here.

Reference Librarian Buffy McDonald recommends Consumer Reports: Travel Tips.

Are you interested in improving your travel experiences and finding travel tips and advice online? 

Consider exploring the ConsumerReports.org website via the library’s subscription. (You will need to start at the Library’s website to access this subscription—see below.) This website has some helpful tips and great advice for travelers. 

You can find advice on flying hassle free, choosing an airline, buying luggage, and more. Did you know that the Transportation Security Administration’s TSA PreCheck will let you fast-track through security? And, that some premium credit cards may offer membership? For finding flights, Consumer Reports recommends using the Google Flights website. According to one of their sources, “They have an awesome price history and prediction tool.” From the article:

It gives you the amount your route has cost over the last couple of months, has a price graph that predicts what prices will be for nearly a year in advance, and tells you what Google thinks is a fair price.

Consumer Reports also has an article on proven tips to help you save gas and, therefore, money.  For example, keep at least a half-tank of gas during the colder months due to weather and a risk of shortages. Drive evenly. Avoid unnecessary braking and frequent bursts of acceleration. Remove roof racks when they are not being used to reduce aerodynamic drag. (There is even a loss when driving with an empty roof rack.) Buy good quality gas from stations such as Chevron, Costco, Mobil, and Shell. And, finally, check your tire pressure. Having tires with lower pressure can affect fuel consumption.

Here’s how to access ConsumerReports.org via the Library’s website:

• Start by going to the library’s website – comlib.org or search [ketchum library]
• Scroll down to Apps & Digital Services
• Click on the Consumer Reports icon
• You will be prompted to enter your library card number: 22301. . .
• Then click on the text, “ConsumerReports.org”

I hope these tips help and encourage you to try the Library’s FREE ConsumerReports.org subscription. 

Gold Mine Processing Manager Kelly Noble recommends The Martini: An Illustrated History of an American Classic by Barnaby Conrad, III.

The martini has a long history in the United States. First invented here in the 1880s, the martini has been a part of the American beverage landscape ever since. Its composition has oscillated from gin to vodka and back again. It is still one of the most popular drinks in the United States. The story of the martini’s invention is up for debate, but most drinkers believe the martini was invented in San Francisco in 1887.

The recipe for a martini has also evolved over time, but the classic Gin Martini with gin and vermouth came into being around 1900. The martini became the drink of choice by most of the upper middle class and is still a top choice today. The current trend favors vodka over gin, but the drink’s overall popularity is still high.  

The importance of the martini is covered by Conrad’s book. My favorite chapter covers the martini in literature and film. Jack London wrote about the martini in his novel, Burning Daylight, and who can forget Ernest Hemingway’s long excerpt in The Sun Also Rises.

It is also reported that Hemingway liked his martinis served cold and with an olive. The only true way to drink a martini, I might add.

In film, the martini appears around 1934 with The Thin Man, and again in 1957 in My Man Godfry. True or not, Conrad relays Humphrey Bogart’s supposed last words as “I should have never switched from scotch to martinis.” And how can anyone alive not know of Ian Fleming’s super spy, Jame Bond. With the invention of James Bond, martinis have become more shaken and less stirred. A purist gin drinker would question this method, but who cares? I will say my favorite quote from Hollywood is by Charles Butterfield:

“You ought to get out of those clothes and into a dry martini.” You cannot go wrong with good advice! 

Overall, Conrad’s book covers a great part of martini history and American culture. For those readers looking for a great American beverage, try a martini at the Cellar Pub on Sun Valley Road in Ketchum, Idaho. They make them extra-large … which is the correct size. 

Borrow The Martini through interlibrary loan here.