Liz Reed is the Adult and Information Services Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Read Liz's column in the October 8, 2015 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.
Scene: your coworker/friend/family member gushes on about how much they just loved this new bestseller. It was just the best book of the last decade and you absolutely have to read it – why haven’t you read it yet? You’re missing out!
Intrigued, you’re finally able lay your hands on a copy and after you’ve slogged your way through it, you wonder what all the hype was about. We’ve all had this experience of being disappointed by books on the bestseller list, books that are raved about by our coworkers/friends/family members, who we know to otherwise be of sound mind and good taste. This can even happen with award-winning books: these Award-Winners are apparently paragons of prose and literary theory, are radical in their choice of subject matter, but some of these titles really make you wonder how they could ever have won an award (“Catcher in the Rye,” I’m looking at you). You read them and just think, “Meh.”
Of course, the truly bad apples are actually few in number, and many bestsellers and award-winners are deserving of their accolades. However, if you’ve ever put down a bestseller thinking, “How the heck did this ever get published?” then join us at Titles on Tap on November 24. We’ll be reading “How I Became a Famous Novelist” by Steve Hely, former writer for “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “American Dad.” This satire is aimed directly at the modern publishing industry and what it takes to make the bestseller list.
I’ve pulled together a list of books that may have slipped through the cracks for you. While some have won very specific scientific and subject awards, none have won any big name or popular awards, such as Booker, Pulitzer, Caldecott, etc. I don’t promise you’ll love them or even like them, but they’re books I’ve enjoyed and that I think deserve a little hype. The books on this list are also very appropriate as we approach Halloween. Read on to see what I mean …
“The Ghost Orchid” by Carol Goodman is a novel set on an estate in rural Upstate New York in the modern day, with flashbacks to the late nineteenth century. Part mystery, part ghost story, part historical fiction, this book had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I was so engrossed in this book that when I was finished, I felt like I was emerging from a trance (in hindsight, probably not a great situation since I was listening to the audiobook while driving). Goodman’s prose are descriptive, her characters are engaging, and I didn’t predict the ending. This book is well worth suspending your disbelief.
“Company of Liars” by Karen Maitland is great historical fiction, especially if you’re a bit of an Anglophile like me. Set in 1348, the Black Death has just reached the shores of England. Nine strangers form a ragtag group trying to outrun the Plague, but each has something to hide, each is a liar. Strongly distrustful yet relying on each other to survive, their secrets are revealed one by one as whatever is hunting them draws ever nearer. Exhaustively researched, this modern take on “The Canterbury Tales” is also a well-crafted mystery. Plus, the audiobook has a phenomenal narrator.
If you’re a fan of the TV show “Bones,” or the series of books on which they’re based, then “Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers” by Mary Roach is right up your alley. Mary Roach has made her name in nonfiction by writing about things that seem too bizarre for others to cover, and handling these potentially stomach-turning topics brilliantly. In fact, not only are cadavers not a morbid subject in this book, they’re actually discussed as useful, productive, and even heroic. What happens to your body if you donate it to science? Is there really a forensic anthropology body farm in Tennessee? How do plastic surgeons practice? Read this book to find out.
Mystery lovers and anyone who enjoys crime show dramas will enjoy the nonfiction, “Working Stiff: two years, 262 bodies, and the making of a medical examiner” by Judy Melinek. On TV, the crime technician seems to be in charge of every step of an investigation, collecting evidence at the crime scene, interviewing suspects, running chemical analyses, and even performing minor autopsies; Dr. Melinek sets the record straight. Taking us through some of her most difficult, interesting, and memorable cases as a training medical examiner in (spoiler!) New York City in 2001, Melinek shows readers the real process of how different branches of law enforcement work together to solve crimes. Fascinating, poignant, and even funny, this book is not to be missed, especially by science buffs. Don’t be put off by the title; I read most of this book on my lunch break.
I hope you enjoy these book recommendations. We’re always happy to talk books, so if you need a break from the bestseller list, or want to know which titles from those lists are actually worth your time,
visit the Reference Desk. When in doubt, ask a librarian.
