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Monthly Archives: October 2014

A House in the Sky: a Memoir by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett

29 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Biography, Non-fiction, Travel

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Canada, history, hostages, international terrorism, Islam, Journalists, photographers, sexual abuse, Somalia, torture

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Be forewarned – this book can cause disrupted sleep.  An avid traveler/cocktail waitress/intrepid spirit/naive backpacker focused on accumulating countries that she’d only read about as a child in the National Geographic makes the decision to enter Somalia in 2008.  A must read memoir.  Harrowing content, guaranteed page-turner, a book you will not forget.

“A vivid, gut-wrenching, beautifully written, memorable book…” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“A well-honed, harrowing account…” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Exquisitely told…[A House in the Sky] is much more than a gonzo adventure tale gone awry—it’s a young woman’s harrowing coming-of-age story and an extraordinary narrative of forgiveness and spiritual triumph….There’s no self-pity or grandiosity in these pages. In the cleanest prose, she and Corbett allow events both horrific and absurd…to unfold on their own. Lindhout’s resilience transforms the story from a litany of horrors into a humbling encounter with the human spirit.” (Eliza Griswold The New York Times Book Review)

“This is one of the most powerfully-written books I have ever read. Harrowing, hopeful, graceful, redeeming and true, it tells a story of inhumanity and humanity that somehow feels deeply ancient and completely modern. It is beautiful, devastating and heroic—both a shout of defiance and a humbling call to prayer.” (Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things)

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Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West by Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon

24 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Non-fiction

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American authors, British authors, Great Britain, guidebook, literary landmarks, travel, United States

9781426202773_p0_v1_s114x166Don’t leave home without this book!  It includes descriptions of author’s houses and museums in the United States and abroad, literary festivals and tours, as well as literary places to lodge, dine and drink.  Imagine yourself in the French Quarter of New Orleans, watching the Stella Shouting Contest (Tennessee William’s Streetcar Named Desire) and then stepping down the street to a bookstore in the Faulkner house (Faulkner House Books) followed by rest and refreshment at the Hotel Monteleone, a favorite of Eudora Welty and Truman Capote.

“Want to explore more than 500 literary landmarks without leaving your living room? Then pull up an armchair and pick up a copy of Novel Destinations. “—Tampa Tribune
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One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak

06 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Fiction

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humor, short stories

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Prior to reading this book, I knew that B.J. Novak was an actor and writer on the TV show The Office (and that he grew up in Newton). I had no idea he was an author, and I was surprised and impressed by this collection of short stories. Some were stronger than others, but I really enjoyed his writing and sense of humor. I recommend the audiobook, which Novak reads along with several guest narrators including Emma Thompson, Julianne Moore, and Mindy Kaling.

*Starred Review* Novak’s high-concept, hilarious, and disarmingly commiserative fiction debut stems from his stand-up performances and his Emmy Award–winning work on the comedy series, The Office, as writer, actor, director, and executive producer. Accordingly, his more concise stories come across as brainy comedy bits, while his sustained tales covertly encompass deep emotional and psychological dimensions. An adept zeitgeist miner, Novak excels at topsy-turvy improvisations on a dizzying array of subjects, from Aesop’s fables to tabloid Elvis to our oracular enthrallment to the stock market. A master of cringe, Novak imagines a blind date with a warlord, a Comedy Central TV roast of Nelson Mandela, and a mortifying misunderstanding between mega-best-selling novelist John Grisham and his new editor. Writing with zing and humor in the spirit of Woody Allen and Steve Martin, Novak also ventures into the realm of George Saunders and David Foster Wallace. A boy wins a breakfast-cereal contest and discovers a shocking family secret. A sex robot falls in love. A man reveals the heartbreak behind the universally dreaded math problem about the two trains leaving the stations at different times. Baseline clever and fresh, at best spectacularly perceptive, and always commanding, Novak’s ingeniously ambushing stories of longing, fear, pretension, and confusion reveal the quintessential absurdities and transcendent beauty of our catch-as-catch-can lives.
–Donna Seaman, Booklist

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The First Family Detail: Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents by Ronald Kessler

06 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Non-fiction

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first ladies, President's family, presidential mistresses, protection, secrets, United States Secret Service

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This book is full of naughty and nice gossip about the Presidents, the First Ladies, the Vice Presidents and their families as seen through the eyes of the Secret Service agents who protect the residents of the White House. The author, who treats Democrats and Republicans equally, also questions the decision making process of the agency that protects the executive branch of the U.S. government.

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