Patron suggestions

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, March 2014; written by Lisa Pearson.

One of the most frequent questions we get at the library desk - aside from “Can I use the Internet?” - is a request for book recommendations. It’s very flattering to have someone devote their time to a book simply because you suggested they try it.

I’ll let you in on a trade secret: most of the books I recommend, I haven’t read. Most librarians don’t have time to read the dozens of books they recommend each week, so we rely instead on the feedback from our patrons. We often suggest books that were praised by people whose reading tastes seem to be similar to yours, or by reviewers who introduce new authors as the next (fill in your favorite author here). We read book jackets, listen to interviews with authors, and file away titles for future reference. As an example, I’ll tell you about a few of the books that have been recommended to me recently.

“Ella Minnow Pea: a progressively lipogrammatic epistolary fable”, by Mark Dunn. This intriguing little novel is set on an imaginary island off the Carolina coast whose inhabitants revere the composer of the pangram “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”. The phrase is enshrined on his statue, and when a letter falls off, the town council interprets that as a sign from beyond the grave to stop using that letter in speech or writing. As more letters fall and more inhabitants are severely punished for using illicit characters of the alphabet to communicate, the book becomes more challenging to read, both literally and metaphorically.

“Bringing up bébé : one American mother discovers the wisdom of French parenting” by Pamela Druckerman was a book club suggestion for an expectant mother. As the mother of older children, I was reluctant to read this book, as it is too late to correct any damage my non-French parenting may have inflicted on my kids. But the underlying messages of her book - don’t hover, don’t stress, and don’t let your kids tyrannize the household - are good ones and her delivery is funny and self-deprecating enough that you don’t really feel that you are reading a parenting manual. It’s much more like having coffee with a friend.

“The complete Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was actually a spin-off from a suggestion that I watch the BBC adaptation starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. I enjoyed the show so much that I had to try the book. To be perfectly honest, I’m still not a fan of Conan Doyle, but knowing the original version made me appreciate the modern adaptation (and the very clever twists on plot details) all the more. This set is very complete, with 4 thick volumes and some nice Victorian illustrations.

“Things we set on fire” is the latest novel by Deborah Reed. Any time a patron tells me that they enjoyed a book so much they didn’t want to return it, I take notice. This story is about family secrets and relationship dynamics, and the prologue is absolutely gripping. Covering thirty years and three generations of women, this book is recommended for fans of Elizabeth Strout and Marilyn Robinson. It would make a good book club pick, and we can provide you with suggested questions from the publisher.

For those of you whose reading time may be a bit curtailed this week due to Spring Break, we are planning plenty of activities for the whole family. We have crafts for elementary school kids on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, toddler storytime on Thursday and Friday morning, and Lego day on Friday. Saturday will be busy with Tots & Trains, Board Game afternoon, and a John Wayne matinee. Call the library at 225-3331 for more information.