Reader 5

This is a relative who is a reluctant reader. I had a strong sense based on her History Channel viewing that she would like biographies of historical figures and other nonfiction titles. The biggest part of the RA interview was a trip to Barnes & Noble to look through new biography titles to see what ones caught her eye. We then took these stacks to the cafe and she told me what had attracted her to each title. Then I had her choose her top 5. Three or four of them were biographies of U.S. presidents. Also, we determined that page length is a definite consideration. With books that are too big, she says she feels "defeated before I even begin." The magic number seemed to be 300 pages or less, so I stuck to that for her list.

My recommendations

-- Abraham Lincoln: A Presidential Life by James McPherson

Found this while browsing in Borders. It's only about 80 pages and Reader 5's small county library carries it.

-- This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett

Reader 5 really liked "The Carol Burnett Show," and so when I heard about this book on NPR I thought is sounded like something she would enjoy

-- Little Heathens : Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm during the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

This is one of the titles Reader 5 selected on our Barnes & Noble trip.

Response

So far she hasn't read any of these but she does want to, especially the Lincoln book. She said that her husband wants to read Little Heathens. Should I tell her no, that's your book! If he wants something to read tell him I'll give him something else. :-)

Reader 4

This man is one of my coworkers at Purdue, and he was one of the most challenging to pick books before because he wasn't very specific about his interests at first. I.e., he was clearly very interested in biographies, nonfiction, and history (genres rated 9 or 10), but what subjects did he want to read about?

I ended up giving him a list of interesting titles from the ALA Notable Books list, and then we had a sit-down conversation to try to pinpoint what he was really in the mood to read about at this time. We ended up with Abraham Lincoln, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, so I told him I would select a book that the Tippecanoe County Public Library owns for each of these topics.

My recommendations

-- Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

-- Spanish-American War by Michael Golay

-- World War One: A Short History by Norman Stone

-- Eisenhower: Soldier and President by Stephen Ambrose

I selected these through a process that involved browsing at Borders, looking at Recommended Reads in NoveList, and reading book reviews online.

Response

Reader 4 immediately thanked me for my efforts and said he really appreciated it. Today I talked to him and joked, "Have you read all those books yet?" and he laughed and said no, but added that he planned to read all of them.

Reader 3

Reader 3 is a good friend in Lafayette who's probably the most voracious reader I know. She rated the following genres above 7: bestsellers, biographies, classics, romantic suspense, women’s lives, and young adult.

My recommendations

-- A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber

Reader 3 likes knitting, and this book is a women's lives/gentle reads pick, so I thought she would like it.

-- Austenland by Shannon Hale

Sounds appealing to any Jane Austen fan, and Reader 3 is a big one.

-- A Little Bit Wicked by Kristin Chenoweth

Reader 3 loves musical theater, so I thought she would enjoy this memoir. I read it, so I can vouch for it.

-- The Ladies’ Man by Elinor Lipman

Readalike author for Austen, according to NoveList, and I looked through numerous plot summaries and this book had the most scintillating one, in my opinion.

-- Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Young adult book I read for YA class last summer. Funny and written by a southern writer, which I know Reader 3 will appreciate.

-- The Hotel Riviera by Elizabeth Adler and Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson

Good escape books related to traveling and cooking -- to subjects Reader 3 is passionate about.

-- To Dance and French Milk

Two graphic book titles that I have read and that I think Reader 3 would enjoy based on her interests in the arts and all things French.

Response

"How cool is this, as good as a personal shopper! I’ve not read as much as I normally do because I’ve run out of ideas and didn’t feel like digging through new stuff. I’ll be anxious to try these. Austenland sounds particularly appealing and I had not heard of it."

More recently (as in today), I got this message from Reader 3: "I didn't realize my reading list was two pages long until just this minute. I've printed it out and will take it with me to the library this evening to return "Austenland." ... I love the concept of "Austenland," but the author wasn't a very good writer, so there were lots of trite phrases and improbable situations. You could rewrite it!"

So, bummer about Austenland. But that's the hazard of recommending books you haven't personally read. What can you do?

Reader 2

Reader 2 is a good friend who lives in New York City. She gave a "10" to classic lit, literary fiction, nonfiction, and short stories, so I focused my search on just those.

My recommendations

-- The World without Us by Alan Weisman and Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn by Hannah Holmes

My friend said her favorite nonfiction topic was the interaction between humans/society and nature. The first title I found on a ALA Notable Books list, and the second is written by an author who NoveList said was a readalike for one of Reader 2's favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver.

-- News of the Spirit by Lee Smith and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman: 24 Stories by Haruki Murakami

These were interesting-sounding books of short stories from the ALA Notable Books lists.

-- The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

This was my pick for literary fiction, found on an ALA Notable Books list. I read an Atwood book for book club several months back, so I could vouch for her writing skill. I thought her prose was very poetic.

To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel by Siena Cherson Siegel

Reader 2 said she was open to graphic novels, so I recommended this one, which is one of my favorites. I told Reader 2 I thought she would appreciate this one because she enjoyed the Alvin Ailey dance recital we went to several years back, and I detailed other reasons as well.

Response

Reader 2's immediate response was, "Thanks for my reading list! I have not read any of those books, although I have read (and liked) other books or stories by Lee Smith and Margaret Atwood. I remember hearing about "The World Without Us" when it was published. Looks like a good list!" And when I visited her in New York last week, she brought up the list out of the blue and said she wanted to read these books as soon as she was done with the ones she was currently reading.

Reader 1

I used the questionnaire for readers 1 through 4 because they were avid readers. Reader 5 is a reluctant reader, and I thought my form would overwhelm and/or confuse her, so I used a different info-gathering technique with her. Details on all readers are listed below.

Reader 1

A colleague of mine at Purdue, this reader revealed through his favorite authors that he liked what I would call business-related self-help books. He rated biography, classic lit, nonfiction, and two categories he created (relationships, business & history) a 5 or higher. Everything else he had "0" interest in. I made sure the lengths of my recommendations were in the 200-400 page range, and that they were books carried by Indianapolis Marion County Public Library. Bonus: three of the books I recommended were available as audiobooks, so I gave him those call numbers in addition to the hard copy call numbers for help with his long commute.

My recommendations for reader 1:

-- The Slaves’ War: the Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves by Andrew Ward

Reader 1 said on his questionnaire that he was most interested in American Civil War history, so I used the "Recommended Reads" feature in NoveList to come up with this book. I also e-mailed him NoveList's other suggestions.

--The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman

This book fits Reader 1's "relationships" category. I didn't use RA tools in this case. This book is my personal favorite on the topic, that's all.

--Super-Crunchers: Why Thinking-by-Numbers Is the New Way to Be Smart by Ian Ayres

Found this title while perusing lists of past ALA Notable Books. It sounded like something Reader 1 would like because he has a strategic planning position.

--212: the Extra Degree by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson

This was my choice for the business-related self-help category. I wasn't aware of any RA tools that covered this, so I ended up recommending a book that my vice president had suggest my division read. She said it's what Purdue alum Drew Brees uses in leading his New Orleans Saints teammates. (Reader 1 is not in my division.)

--American born Chinese by Gene Yang

Reader 1 indicated he was open to graphic novels, and I know he has a great interest in diversity issues, so I recommended this award-winning title.

Response:

Reader 1 sent me this feedback when I sent him his list of recommendations:

"Thanks, Emily! These look most interesting! I do use audiobooks (daily) so that extra information will be put to use. Thank you for this, I shall give you feedback as I finish each if you like."

My Foray into Form-based RA, part I

I decided early on in the semester that I wanted to advise five readers for this project, and that I wanted to send "my" readers a questionnaire to gather information about their preferences.

The questionnaire I developed:

The questions below are meant to provide an insight into your reading experiences and preferences. I will use your answers to put together a list of 4-5 books (with descriptions) that I think you might enjoy. Most of the titles will be from genres you like, but I might throw in one book meant to stretch you a little.

1. On average, how many books do you read per month?

2. Who are your favorite authors? (Please list their names and say what it is you like about them.)

3. What authors do you least enjoy? (Please list their names and explain what it was you did not like about them.)

4. On a scale from 0 to 10 — where 0 means no interest and 10 means high interest — indicate your level of interest in the following genres:

Action/adventure
Bestsellers
Biography/memoir
Classic literature
Fantasy
Historical fiction (works of fiction set in a real time in history)
Horror
Literary fiction
Mysteries
Nonfiction
Psychological suspense
Romance
Romantic suspense
Science fiction
Suspense
Thrillers
Westerns
Women’s lives and relationships
Young adult
Other: _________________

5. Of these genres, which one(s) are you most in the mood to read right now?

6. Have you read any graphic books? (These are fiction or nonfiction titles that generally use comic book-style storytelling. Examples include American Born Chinese, Persepolis, and Watchmen.)

-- Yes

What was your experience like and would you read another graphic book?

-- No

Are you open to reading a graphic book?

7. Are you sensitive to book length? If so, what is too long and/or too short for you?

8. Nonfiction fans: Are there any particular subjects you’re interested in reading about at this time?

9. Do you frequent your local library or libraries? If so, what is the name of the one you use most often? (When I select books for you, I’ll place a priority on titles owned by your library.)

The Hotel Riviera / Elizabeth Adler

For those who dream of someday vacationing in the south of France, The Hotel Riviera is the ultimate escape. It's about an American named Lola who is the chef/owner of a quiet villa near Saint-Tropez. It's been six months since her husband, Patrick, mysteriously disappeared, and Lola is picking up the pieces of her life while trying to figure out whether Patrick is alive or dead. The latter activity is the basis of the suspense half of this novel.

The romantic half focuses on Lola's developing relationship with a man named Jack, who lives on a small boat docked in the bay behind the hotel. He is the rugged, hard-bodied type -- a boat-builder who has lived a life of adventure and somebody who would never settle down, or so it would seem. He's a consummate charmer -- the kind of guy who could attract any woman through his signature smile. But in Lola he finds a challenge, for she seems not to notice any of his charms.

Romantic suspense is tricky in that it has to juggle romance and suspense in a single narrative. Adler does this by leaving the suspense portion in the background until midway through the novel. The first half mainly sets the scene of the story and establishes all of the characters. But then the suspense picks up -- the police find Patrick's car abandoned in Marseilles -- and Jack ends up being one of the people who help Lola get to the bottom of her husband's disappearance.

I enjoyed this novel and could see myself reading more books by this author. Ultimately, what became the main appeal of The Hotel Riviera was its heartwarming qualities. Sure, the romance and suspense are engrossing, including a fantastic chase scene near the end, and you need only an ounce of wanderlust to appreciate the idyllic setting. But what this book is ultimately about is a woman rebuilding her life following a disappointing marriage, learning to love again, and finding herself in the process.

Briar Rose / Jane Yolen

This semester I learned I have to be careful about how much extracurricular reading I do. Adult Readers Advisory really opened my eyes to the fact that there are all kinds of interesting fiction out there. Whenever I would read the chapters in our textbook, I kept seeing books that sounded good, and several times I ended up reading those instead of doing homework for my other class. Case in point: Briar Rose by Jane Yolen.

The textbook talks about this novel in the "Fantasy" chapter: "In Jane Yolen's Briar Rose, the Sleeping Beauty story is reimagined in Nazi Germany." I'm really fascinated by Holocaust stories, so when I read that sentence I immediately placed a hold on the book and ended up reading it in one sitting.

The premise of the novel is this: A young journalist named Becca is losing her grandmother, Gemma, to dementia. Gemma had told Becca and her two sisters the story of Briar Rose on a continual basis while they were growing up, but near the end of her life she began insisting that she herself was Briar Rose.

"'I was the princess in the castle in the sleeping woods,'" she says to Becca on her deathbed. "'And there came a great dark mist and we all fell asleep. But the prince kissed me awake. ... Promise me you will find the castle. Promise me you will find the prince. ...'"

Becca promises, and begins her investigation following Gemma's funeral. I can't tell you too much more because it would ruin the suspense, but suffice it to say that with a small box of her grandmother's belongings, her investigative journalist skills, and help from her boss/love interest and a translator in Poland, Becca manages to figure out the mystery of her grandmother's past.

Briar Rose is a compelling read, a definite page-turner. As the reader, you get excited as Becca finds each piece of the puzzle and puts it in place. You get frustrated when she hits a dead end. And you are fascinated when you finally learn how the story of Sleeping Beauty played out in Gemma's life. Originally I was afraid that the parallels between the two stories would be cheesy or forced, but instead I ended up really admiring how the author handled this aspect. It actually was what I enjoyed most about the book. Well done, Jane Yolen!

I would recommend Briar Rose to any young adult or YA crossover reader, as well as to anyone interested in the Holocaust. This is a work of fiction, which should probably be pointed out in case a reader is only interested in stories of real survivors, but Jane Yolen did research the real-life setting of Gemma's fictional story, and these facts are weaved into the narrative and detailed in the "Author's Note" at the end.

The Catcher in the Rye / J. D. Salinger

Whenever I read a classic, I always think about why it's a classic. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding why. But with The Catcher in the Rye, it seemed apparent from the first sentence. Those 63 words incorporate what I think are the main appeals of the novel -- a unique narrative style, sarcastic humor, and a compelling main character, Holden Caulfield:

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."

What he does feel like talking about is the substance of the rest of the book. The plot is fairly simple -- Holden gets kicked out of (yet another) prep school and his parents won't find out until they receive a letter from the school several days later, so he decides to leave his dormitory and kill time in New York City for a few days so he doesn't have to break the news to his parents himself.

The narrative style is intensely personal and refreshingly honest. Holden is inviting the reader into his life -- on his own terms, but with an implied promise that he will tell the raw truth instead of saying all the things one is supposed to say. The everyday language he uses reinforces the fact that he's going to tell it like it is.

The sarcastic humor is what I enjoyed most about the book. One of Holden's main observations seems to be that a lot of things and people are "phony." When one of his teachers tells him his parents are "grand people" in chapter 2, Holden says to the reader, "Grand. There's a word I really hate. It's a phony. I could puke every time I hear it."

Holden himself is the third main appeal; he's a really compelling character -- mostly because he's hard or even impossible to figure out. For instance, he's really smart but doesn't apply himself at school. Why? And he gets disgusted by so many things but has joy in a few others, like how a summer (girl) friend played checkers, and almost any detail related to his siblings.

And of course there's the bigger question -- what will happen to Holden? Well, like many good literary novels, whose endings are "often open or ambiguous" (Saricks 178), so too is the ending of Catcher. And that's a good thing. Because in a novel so intent on telling the raw truth, slapping on a Hollywood ending would seem utterly out of place. And Holden would not approve. As he says in the first chapter, "If there's one thing I hate, it's the movies. Don't even mention them to me."

A Little Bit Wicked / Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth is perhaps best known for originating the role of Galinda in the smash-hit Broadway musical Wicked -- a performance that earned her a Tony nomination in 2004. Prior to that, she had won a Tony for playing Sally in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. She has also appeared in numerous television shows and movies.

One review I read of this book questioned why Chenoweth released a memoir so early in her career, but from reading the book I can assure you she has accomplished enough and had enough life experience to make for a great read. What I most appreciated was getting to look behind the curtain so to speak, to see what the life of a performer is really like. It may sound glamorous, but it's hard work, day in and day out. At times it seems that Chenoweth takes care of herself and her voice in much the same way an Olympic athlete would take care of his or her body.

Another thing this book has going for it is Chenoweth's upbeat attitude and her sense of humor. This is a woman who knows how to turn lemons into lemonade. Like the hilarious "Cooter Smash" incident I read aloud in class, about how Chenoweth fractured her coccyx while performing at Opryland and ever since has had the ability to predict the weather with her "hoo hoo." You get a sense while reading this book that Chenoweth is quite the comedienne.

Lastly, there are some amazing stories of serendipity in this memoir. Like how she was placed in her adoptive family and how she ended up on Broadway instead of studying opera at a prestigious school in Pennsylvania. For people of faith (and Chenoweth is one), these are encouraging stories of how God puts everything together behind the scenes.

With all these appeals, this book is definitely one I would recommend, but probably only to Broadway musical enthusiasts at this point in time. Chenoweth has the potential to become a household name, but until that day comes, this book probably appeals only to a niche audience.

Dream When You're Feeling Blue / Elizabeth Berg

Recently, I've been interested in finding out what it was like to live in the 1940s, so when I read a description of this novel in our textbook, I decided I had to read it right away.

It's about an Irish family -- the Heaneys -- who live in the Chicago area during WWII. The story is told in third person from the point of view of Kitty, the second of the five children who all live together with their parents in a three-bedroom house, and the plot really focuses on Kitty and her two sisters, who range in age from around 16 to early 20s. The book begins with Kitty and her elder sister, Louise, saying goodbye to their men who are going off to war. Since letter-writing is a daily activity in their lives, the narrative includes numerous letters as the plot unfolds.

I enjoyed this book overall. It does provide a sense of the sacrifices people made during the war. Imagine having to go without sugar, for instance. Margaret (the mother) is as creative as can be, but at every meal there's an awareness that they miss the meat they used to have, etc. That so large a family lives in a three-bedroom is another period detail, as are things like nightly letter writing and adult women living with their parents. (I love my parents, but I've lived independently since fall 1998 and can't imagine living in a society where the norm is you live with your parents until you're married.) Oh, and receiving the label "spinster" even though you're still in your 20s. Yikes.

The book also has some great romantic elements. A soldier named Hank meets Kitty at a USO dance and begins pursuing her despite the fact that Kitty has a boyfriend. This wooing is a gripping story because it becomes clear that Kitty never was really "into" her boyfriend, but in getting to know Hank she has an awakening of desire that's exciting to witness.

However, I really felt gypped by the way this novel ended. I won't spoil it for you, but suffice it to say that not every character gets a happy ending. That's okay in certain kinds of books and when the author prepares you for it, but in this case what happened felt like a curve ball that hit me from out of nowhere. It was enough of a letdown that I sort of threw the book (tossed, more like) across the sofa when I finished it. So, in the end, I would not recommend this book to others.

Four to Score / Janet Evanovich

For the first several weeks of this semester, it seemed like the name Janet Evanovich came up every class. I had never read her, so I picked this book in order to see what all the fuss was about. I wasn't disappointed.

For the uninitiated: Four to Score is book 4 in Evanovich's mystery series starring bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Following Stephanie's hunt for yet another person who's jumped bail is kind of like watching the Three Stooges on a paint crew -- you know it's going to be a big mess. Because this likable but not-quite-put-together heroine manages to get into one scrape after another. Her house catches fire, her car blows up ... you name it, it's probably happened to Stephanie. But she always manages to overcome such obstacles and snag her bail-jumper in the end.

This is not a gentle read -- it contains obscenities and some sex. I'm not easily offended, but I was not sure I was going to get into the book when on page 3 Stephanie describes having caught someone "bare-assed on my dining room table, playing hide-the-salami with my husband." That's not an image I want in my head. But it didn't take much longer for her sarcastic narrator voice to grow on me, and once I reached that point, I was hooked.

One of this book's big appeals is its humor -- I literally did laugh out loud several times while reading it. And it has a lively cast of characters -- like Lula the retired prostitute (a large African American woman), Sally the professional transvestite (a dude who looks like a lady), and Stephanie's 73-year-old grandma. You can imagine Stephanie and her entourage turning many heads as they look for bail-jumpers around Trenton, on the Jersey shore, in Atlantic City, and elsewhere.

Above all, perhaps, reading Evanovich is a great escape. Doesn't matter much what you're escaping from. So, for me, the next time I'm feeling tired of the tediousness of everyday life, I might just crack open a book and hang out in Stephanie's world -- because there's never a dull moment there.

Pleasantly Surprised

Over lunch today, I stood next to the reference desk at the West Lafayette Public Library and read a Dewey Decimal System sign while working up the courage to ask for help. The librarian working the desk asked, "Can I help you?"

"Yes," I said. "I was wondering if you could help me find a good book to read."

A sarcastic smile came to her face, which I didn't know how to interpret, but she followed it with a question: "Do you know what you're looking for?

I told her I liked women's lives and relationships type of books. That one of the books I liked recently was called Dixieland Sushi. She asked if this was fiction and I said yes. Then I told her another book I liked recently was called Hotel Riviera. At that point she said I was looking for light reading. I sensed a bit of judgment, but I agreed with that summary.

"Have you read Jennifer Cruise (sic)?" she then asked. I said no, but my answer was enthusiastic so she did a search for the author in the library catalog. There was a bit of a delay, and she kind of mumbled things to herself like, "There are only so many ways you can spell that name." But eventually she discovered that the last name was Crusie and told me that the library had at least a dozen of her titles in regular fiction. I asked where that was, and she said downstairs.

"If you're looking for humorous fiction," she added, "you could do a search in the catalog for that." I asked her how to do such a search, telling her I'd only used the new catalog once and it overwhelmed me, so she showed me.

Then suddenly I thought of Four to Score, so I told the librarian I also had enjoyed a book by Janet Evanovich recently.

"Those would be in mystery," she said.

"Are there any other authors like Evanovich?"

"Not now, but probably there will be soon."

We had reached a roadblock, but I continued to stand there, and the librarian was still typing things on her computer ...

"There are lots of funny mysteries written by women," she said. Then she told me there was an author whose last name was Davidson whose books were very popular. They featured a detective named Goldie something, who works as a caterer. Diane Mott Davidson. All of the books have food titles.

The foodie in me was getting excited, so I asked where the mystery section was. I then did a quick summary of her recommendations to make sure I had understood and that I knew where to find the titles. She confirmed everything, so I thanked her and then went downstairs to comb through the titles by Crusie and Davidson. I ended up checking out four books. The Crusie ones I'm not so sure about yet, but I'm excited to read Catering for Nobody and then, if I get hooked on Davidson, Dying for Chocolate.

Sure, I could pick apart the way the librarian answered my question. She shouldn't have given me the feeling that her reading tastes were above mine. She should have turned to face me more often and focused less on her computer. She probably shouldn't mumble things to herself. But I had gone into the situation expecting to get nothing out of it, and instead I left the library a happy customer. So overall, I'd say the librarian did her job.

"In a better, saner world …"

I just read Bob Lamm's "Reading Groups: Where Are All the Men?" for the second time, and my reaction is still, "You have got to be kidding me." I could go in a number of directions with my rant, but for the sake of brevity I'll focus in on one particular statement:

"In a better, saner world, men would look forward to Amy Tan's next novel, to the next Hollywood version of Little Women."

I'm sorry, but he did just imply that there's something wrong with the world because men don't go in droves to see the latest chick flick, or read voraciously from the Women's Lives and Relationships genre?

This seems both ridiculous and clueless to me. From what I've observed, men tend to be drawn to movies like Saving Private Ryan and books like Dune or The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. In other words, there are certain genres that men tend to gravitate to, such as adventure and science fiction. So what if those genres don't happen to be the same ones that women tend to gravitate to?

I can't help but imagine what Lamm would be like if he were working as a reader's advisor. I can picture him trying to force feed Jane Austen to the male patrons -- thinking he was making the world a better place -- when all he was really doing was frustrating readers.

I say no to Lamm's vision of a better world. I would much rather live in a world where men and women are free to read (and watch) whatever they please. Sometimes their choices are going to be different, but that's okay. In fact, I would argue that people's differences are part of what makes life interesting. We should appreciate or at least respect those differences, rather than yearn for a culture of homogenized readers.

The Most Shocking Thing About the Pilgrims

Here is my attempt at a Kirkus-style review -- of the work that my bookclub is discussing next week ...

Philbrick, Nathaniel
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War
Penguin (463 pp.)
$16.00
ISBN: 978-0-14-311197-9 (pbk.)

Nathaniel Philbrick previously garnered respect for his New York Times bestseller In the Heart of the Sea, winner of the National Book Award for nonfiction in 2000, and Sea of Glory: The Epic South Seas Expedition, 1838–1842. Now, the author further cements his reputation with this eye-opening look at the Pilgrims’ settling on Cape Cod and their unfolding relationship with the Native Americans.

Philbrick the narrator gives neither a Hallmark-like view of the Pilgrims nor a modern picture of evil Europeans abusing an innocent native population. Instead, he shares the findings from his meticulous research with us and let’s us decide. The book features the kind of dense, historical narrative that readers of nonfiction love. Philbrick depicts all of his real-life characters as fully human with varying degrees of good and bad in them. He also doesn’t take sides, as the evidence seems to indicate that both the Pilgrims and the Native Americans showed kindness to, and committed atrocities against, one another.

Amidst all of the fascinating and shocking details in the Mayflower is the revelation that in 1675, after living together in peace for over 50 years, the Native Americans and the English went to war with each other. King Philip’s War, named for a sachem known as “King Philip,” claimed 5,000 lives, which was approximately seven percent of the population of New England at the time. Philbrick writes in his preface, “In terms of percentage of population killed, King Philip’s War was more than twice as bloody as the American Civil War and at least seven times more lethal than the American Revolution.” Yet few people seem to know about this conflict. Philbrick himself told Publisher’s Weekly (April 24, 2006) that he was surprised about what he found out while doing his research. Mayflower has much to contribute to the annals of history, but if it makes a lasting impression on us, it will be in raising our awareness of King Philip’s War.

Me and My Reading World

About Me
Emily Hunteman, a 34-year-old single gal who grew up on a quasi-farm one hour west of Indianapolis, got a bachelor’s in English literature from DePauw University, and has worked for nearly 10 years (nonconsecutive) as a writer/editor at Purdue University. (Picture the array of colorful brochures that prospective college students receive in the mail from universities. Some of those are written/edited by me!)


My Reading World
Genres that I most enjoy reading:

· Nonfiction

I’m a sucker for quirky nonfiction titles focused on someone doing some “crazy” experiment like trying to read the encyclopedia all the way through or trying to eat only food that came from within 50 miles of home. Or like The Pluto Files, which focuses on the history of Pluto and the giant uproar in the United States generated from its demotion from planet status. I read about it on a blog and thought it sounded hilarious. As for more serious (meaning nonhumorous) nonfiction, I enjoy American and European history works -- especially when they have a strong narrative – and biographies/autobiographies of famous singers, chefs, and other people I find interesting. My favorite is probably Girl Singer by Rosemary Clooney.

· Graphic novels

I’m ga ga for this genre and have felt that way ever since I first heard about graphic novels. My favorites of the few I’ve read so far are American Born Chinese, Persepolis, French Milk, and To Dance: A Memoir. I think the use of both text and pictures to tell a story really heightens the clarity of a work. And among other benefits, the genre somehow enables and catalyzes discussion about serious topics such as ethnic/cultural differences.

· Christian spirituality books

I like reading true stories about people’s relationships with God and their efforts to reach out to people. Good examples are Blue Like Jazz and Traveling Mercies.

· Classic works of fiction, especially those that would be called chick lit if written today.

I don’t want to over generalize, but it seems that most women love a good love story, and I am one of those women. So books like Persuasion and Jane Eyre have a “Calgon, take me away” type effect on me. I also like clever revisions of classic stories, like Bridget Jones’s Diary.

· Food books

I love to cook and to read about food. Thus, I have a subscription to Bon Appetit and a small bookshelf full of cookbooks, plus a handful of food narratives that I’ve fallen in love with, ranging from Cooking for Mr. Latte (a light love story told through food) to The United States of Arugula, a richly detailed history of the rise of gourmet food in America since World War II.