Books Recommended by Librarians

             Do you want to know some of the favorite books of our librarians?

Here is what librarian Craig likes best.

            Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft is written by Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in zoology, botany, and geography. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km (5,000 mi) across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands. The expedition was designed to demonstrate that ancient people could have made long sea voyages, creating contacts between separate cultures.

            The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography is written by Simon Singh. This is a look at the world of codes, tracing its history back from Mary, Queen of Scots to the world wars, and also hypothesizes what the future of cryptography will be. Simon Singh received his Ph.D. in physics from Cambridge University and is a former BBC producer.

            Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time is written by Dava Sobel. This book describes the forty-year effort of John Harrison to invent the chronometer, the first instrument to keep accurate time for navigational purposes.

            The Andromeda Strain is written by the late novelist and medical doctor Michael Crichton. Originally published in 1984, it tells the story of a team of scientists who struggle to save humanity when a deadly bacteria is brought back from outer space by a satellite. A movie based on the book also was produced.

            Enola Gay, written by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts, tells the story of the

nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, Japan at the end of World War II, as carried out with the Enola Gay bomber.

The Fictional Abraham Lincoln

            Most readers of non-fiction are aware of Abraham Lincoln’s life and accomplishments. However, they may not be aware that he also is the subject of many novels. Here are some recent ones.

            In Perish from the Earth: A Lincoln and Speed Mystery, written by Jonathan F. Putnam, the newly minted trial lawyer and his friend Joshua Speed, the son of a steamboat owner, defend a young traveling artist wrongly accused of a murder linked to a rigged card game.

Lincoln in the Bardo: A Novel, written by George Saunders, traces a night of solitary mourning and reflection as experienced by the sixteenth president after the death of his eleven-year-old son at the dawn of the Civil War.

In Murder in the Lincoln White House, written by C.M. Gleason, when a man is found stabbed to death only yards away from Abraham Lincoln during the inaugural ball, the president dispatches his assistant, and former frontier scout, Adam Quinn, to investigate.

            A Friend of Mr. Lincoln, written by Stephen Harrigan, depicts Abraham Lincoln in his twenties and thirties, as he works as a lawyer and in the state legislature and spends time with a fictional poet, Cage Weatherby.

More February Birthdays

            Ready to see what other authors have been born in February?

            James Joyce, born on February 2, 1882, was an Irish novelist, short story writer, and poet. He wrote such classics as Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, The Dubliners, Ulysses and Finnegan’s Wake.

            Toni Morrison, born on February 18, 1931, writes novels that reflect her African-American culture and focus upon the themes of racism and sexual oppression. Some of her titles in our collection are Beloved, Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, and Sula, as well as others.

            Ayn Rand, born on February 2, 1905, was a Russian-born American writer of both fiction and non-fiction that focuses upon the theme of “rational self-interest”, and are in the dystopian fiction and science fiction genres. Her works include Anthem, Atlas Shrugged, and The Fountainhead.

            John Sandford, born on February 23, 1944, is the best-selling author of crime thrillers, both in series – Prey series and Kidd series – and standalone novels. His most recent books are Deep Freeze, Golden Prey, and Escape Clause.

            Amy Tan, born on February 19, 1952, also is a popular author of literary fiction focusing on Chinese and Chinese-American culture and the relationships between mothers and daughters and between women. Some of her well-known books are The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife, and The Valley of Amazement.

           

Authors Born in February

            Let’s celebrate February by honoring the famous authors who were born in that month.

            Meg Cabot, born February 1, 1967, focuses on chick-lit, mystery, and romance genres, as well as young adult and children’s books. Some of her books include The Princess Diaries series, The Boy is Back, and Royal Wedding.   

            Kate Chopin, born February 8, 1850, is considered to be a forerunner of twentieth-century American feminist authors. She is best known for her novel The Awakening and a number of short stories.

            Charles Dickens, born February 7, 1812, was a critically acclaimed, prolific, and very popular writer during England’s Victorian era. Some of his works include A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, and A Christmas Carol.

            Gillian Flynn, born February 24, 1971, writes mysteries and thrillers. Before turning to fiction, she was a journalist for fifteen years. Her novels include Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, and Dark Places.

            John Grisham, born February 8, 1955, is an internationally popular author who writes legal thrillers based upon his education and experience as a lawyer. Some of his bestselling books – The Firm, Pelican Brief, A Time to Kill, and The Client – and others, have been turned into feature films.

            Langston Hughes, born February 1, 1902, was an African-American poet, author, and playwright who produced much of his work during the Harlem Renaissance. Some of his works in our collection are The Big Sea: An Autobiography, The Collected Works of Langston Hughes, and The Political Plays of Langston Hughes.