Nick Hornby's Funny Girl

Well, we seem to have settled into the new year. I think I'm used to writing "2015" on things now, anyway. How are your new year's resolutions coming along? Have you registered for winter reading yet? (You really should, you know.)

So far this January I'm off to a slow reading start. But I will tell you that I just read an advanced reader copy of Nick Hornby's new book Funny Girl, coming out next month. I LOVED it!! The main character is a young British woman in the 1960s who wants to be like her idol Lucille Ball, and takes herself to London to achieve her dream. Hornby is one of my favorite authors, because his writing is so humorous and his characters are so quirky and real. Funny Girl gives you not only an entertaining story, but glimpses of life in transitioning 1960s British pop culture, BBC politics, and British comedy in general. It's on order at the library, so be sure to put your name on the hold list when it comes in!

In the meantime, if you're like me and you really like British comedy, why not read something by one of the greats? John Cleese recently published a memoir, So, Anyway..., and we have it on ebook for you to check out! Or maybe watch Peter Sellers at his comedic best in Dr. Strangelove, or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

Or, perhaps you'd rather read a little Hornby while you wait. His book High Fidelity is a modern classic, and was then turned into a lovely film starring John Cusack. If you love music, and are currently in or have been in a quarter-life (or even mid-life!) crisis, it's definitely worth picking up. Or, if you're into more dark, absurdist-like humor, his book A Long Way Down (recently released as a feature film starring Pierce Brosnan) is a story of four people who decide not to commit suicide and instead form a weird friendship together.

Or maybe you just wanna read up on Lucille Ball. What a character.

Serial Read-Alikes

Serial is a true crime podcast that investigates the 1999 Baltimore murder of Hae Min Lee. Creator Sarah Koenig unfolds new pieces of the story in a weekly serialized narrative. The podcast has acquired many fans over the last few months. Unfortnately, this season and story has come to an end. If you are lamenting the end of season 1, or are just a true crime fan, try these other chillingly true stories.

The Devil in the White City intertwines the stories of Daniel H. Burnham, the architect of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and H. H. Holmes, who used the cover of his hotel to lure victims. Or read about registered nurse Charlie Cullen in The Good Nurse, who used his profession to carry out his murderous intentions in nine hospitals. For a true crime classic, try Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me. She tells the story of Ted Bundy, a man with whom she was friends and coworkers before he was a known serial killer. For more suggestions come in to the Cartersville Public Library to see our Serial read-alikes display and bookmark. Ask our Readers Advisory twitter @BartowLibRA for more recommendations! Let's talk about books!