Read Harder Challenge: Microhistory

Are you committed to reading harder this year? We're getting closer to the halfway point (how crazy is that?), so there's still time to join in and try out some different genres to change up your reading. In an effort to help you find some good new reads, today we're giving you some microhistory suggestions!

What is a microhistory? They're like a really in-depth look at one event, or community, or family and how to relates to history as a whole. You'll find that authors and researchers have published on some crazy specific topics, and you've probably already read one or two without calling it a microhistory! Here's some of our current favorites:

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore. Consider this a preview of our Adult Summer Reading Club starting May 22nd. I did not grow up reading comic books, but I did watch the Wonder Woman TV show on reruns. This is a FABULOUS and FUN look at the creators of Wonder Woman, how she developed, public reaction to the character, and LOADS of other historical influences that contributed to the character of Wonder Woman. Great read not only for comic book fans, but also those interested in the history feminism, psychology, cinema, and politics. A little something for everyone!

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson. Larson is a well-respected historian and writer, and his latest is one of his best. One of the most famous maritime disasters of the 20th century is recounted here is great detail, and gives you a rich background in early 20th century warfare, submarines, class structure, immigration stories, and how this event related to other disasters of the time. It's a chilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The trivia alone about how some passengers had missed the Titanic but ended up on the Lusitania will be rewarding enough!

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty. Are you into medical procedurals? Do you like Abby Sciuto from NCIS? Are you not that squeamish? You should try this book! Part memoir, part guidebook, Doughty goes into great detail of how she became a mortician, and includes loads of stories on caring for the dead. The book has made quite a sensation since it got published, and the author recently signed on for more books, and the book has been optioned for a TV show. Get on the bandwagon now!


Stop by the Reference Desk and let us know what you're reading! We'd love to hear about it!

The Great Gatsby Readalikes

This Thursday, April 30th at 6pm, we'll be hosting a book and film discussion on The Great Gatsby, the classic 1920s novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Read (or reread!) the book, watch one of the many adaptations (or all the available ones, if you can manage), and sit in on the discussion. But what should you read after Gatsby? I've got a few suggestions.

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Really, read anything by F. Scott, but this was the novel he published a few years after Gatsby. Based on the Fitzgeralds' experiences as ex-pats in France, this follows a rich and flashy couple in the Riviera and details the wife's history of mental health with a husband who started out as her doctor. Quite autobiographical, as many of F. Scott's books were.

West of Sunset by Stewart O'Nan. This recent fiction release chronicles life for F. Scott Fitzgerald after fame had mostly passed him by, and he found himself in Hollywood, desperately trying to make money and regain name-recognition for himself with a daughter nearly grown and a wife in a mental institution.

Gatsby's Girl by Caroline Preston. A fictionalized account of the woman who rejected F. Scott in their youth, and became the basis for some of his female characters, most famously Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. It looks at what she might have thought and experienced as a former flame rises to literary stardom with a book featuring a part of their shared love story.

Spring Cleaning!

Interested in getting rid of stuff and getting organized? Need a little guidance with where to start and how to do it? The library has some books that might help you!

It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh. From TLC's Clean Sweep, an expert organizer tells you what's what.

Secrets of an Organized Mom by Barbara Reich. Mom knows best. And when Mama's happy, everybody's happy, right?

Christopher Lowell's Seven Layers of Organization: Unclutter Your Home, Unclutter Your Life by Christopher Lowell. A well-regarded interior decorator lays out his expertise for a beautifully organized home.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. A classic for those in business, the tips given also translate to other areas of life.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. The new best-selling classic that has folks everywhere unloading their clutter!

Civil War Reads

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. Agencies and organizations across the US have been commemorating this great and tragic event in American history the past four years, and one of your Bartow Librarians just happens to be a big Civil War buff, and would love to share some of her favorites:

The March by E.L. Doctorow. A new Civil War masterpiece, in my opinion. It follows Sherman's March to the Sea through the viewpoints of different characters affected by Sherman and traces their real-life struggles in this new post-war world. A really fascinating read for those who like a good fictional approach to learning about historical time periods.

Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz. A must-read for anyone interested in the Civil War as a topic of any kind. Horwitz is a journalist who decides to look into how the South has continued to react and respond to the Civil War and issues stemming from the conflict. Each chapter is a different story, introducing the reader to reenactors, white supremacists, Sons of the Confederacy, inner-city high school teachers, and other Civil War enthusiasts. Excellent resource for those looking at the Civil War at a different angle.

Ruth's Journey by Donald McCaig. For those of you who REALLY LIKE Gone with the Wind, here's the latest in the "series" - an authorized prequel that focuses on Ruth, Scarlet's mammy, and Scarlet's maternal ancestors. Though not as much of Mammy's story as I would have liked, it's still an engaging read bringing in secessionist politics, slave uprisings, and some love stories only hinted at in Margaret Mitchell's original. Maybe not essential reading, but certainly a fun story for a weekend trip.

We do have a Civil War Besides Gone with the Wind reading list as another resource, available online and as a bookmark at your Cartersville branch library. Or stop by and ask us for recommendations!

Read Harder Challenge: Translated Books

When was the last time you read a book that was originally published in another language? Part of the Read Harder Challenge is to give one a try!

Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan. This book made quite the splash when it was published in English from the original French in 1955, not only for the content - a story of a teenage girl exploring her feminine wiles and interjecting herself into her father's love life - but also because the author herself was only eighteen when her book was published. A short read, reminiscent of Fitzgerald's Lost Generation of the 20s mixed with themes of the burgeoning Beat movement of the 50s, seemed very exotic to American readers at the time. If you're interested in reading something scandalous from half a century ago, this might be one to try.

Palace Walk by Naguib Maufouz. Another title published in English from the 1950s, but this one set around the time of World War I in Egypt. The story focuses on the Egyptian Arabic family the Ahmads, run by a controlling patriarch who more or less terrifies his family into obeying him. The novel rotates between the stories of the father, mother, sons, and daughters of the family, all with their own motivations and desires, while the Egyptian Revolution is taking place. An engrossing look at religion, politics, family life, and gender roles in a time period you might not be as familiar with.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. A more recent title, this one set in Paris and focuses on a cantankerous apartment concierge who observes the tenants of her building closely without them noticing her, and a twelve-year-old genius who decides she's going to kill herself on her thirteenth birthday. Lots of intellectual thought, and a read that will give you pause throughout.

And here are a few more suggestions from the Book Riot staff:

Ruby by Cynthia Bond

Last month Oprah announced the latest pick for her book club, Ruby by Cynthia Bond. It's the story of Ruby, a woman from a small Texas town who suffered considerably as a child and fled her hometown for the bright lights on New York City, only to return later and struggle with her sanity. We follow one of her childhood friends as he tries to reach out to her. It's a story that grabs you and won't let you go until you've finished it. Racism and religion are central themes to the book, and though it might make the book difficult to read at times, you'll want to follow through with these characters and find out what happens to them. It's been compared to Toni Morrison, and I heard one reviewer say it's like the spiritual sequel Morrison's Beloved.

We've got it in print, as an audiobook, and as an ebook! Join Oprah and other legions of readers with this captivating story.

Read Harder Challenge: Sci-Fi Novels

I'm a big fan of the Book Riot website - fun people talking about books and bookish things is ALWAYS something I will support. At the end of last year they put out their Read Harder Challenge for 2015, and we put some bookmarks out talking about it. Basically you can use it as an excuse to try reading some different genres, or books you wouldn't normally pick up. Expand your horizons! I've spent most of my life thinking I wasn't interested in reading science fiction, and have discovered more recently that I do actually really like it! A Sci-Fi novel is one of the challenges, and if you think you're not much of a sci-fi person, maybe try one of these that I liked!

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - Don't think much description is needed here. HUGE fan of the movie, and HUGE fan of the book! Usually folks get into debates about if the movie or the book was better, but I'm of the opinion both stand equally. Crichton gives additional background in the beginning of the book you don't get in the movie, and it is super creepy and worth the read on its own. With the new sequel coming out soon, maybe you should beat your friends to the punch and give this one a read before everyone else does.

The Martian by Andy Weir - This is also being made into a movie with Matt Damon, and I am greatly looking forward to it. You wouldn't necessarily think a story about an astronaut being marooned on Mars would make you laugh as much as this one did. Our intrepid hero is basically MacGyver in space, and keeps his sanity and your interest with his humorous observations. Does NASA know he's alive? Will they be able to rescue him? Will he survive long enough to see a rescue? You will be hooked to find out!

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel - If you come by the library and ask me for a good, edge-of-your-seat read, this is the one I'll suggest. It made numerous "best of" lists for 2014, the movie right were just bought, and the book world is still buzzing about this book. A famous actor has a heart attack on stage the same night a pandemic flu begins to spread that eventually wipes out most of humanity. You follow the stories of people who were connected to the famous actor, and see what became of them immediately after, 20 years later, and even their lives before the flu. It's beautifully written, a compelling story, and you might want to set aside a weekend to read it, because once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down!

Have you read any of these? What did you think? Let us know of other great sci-fi reads to try!