Books That Grow On You

In addition to how-to books about gardening, there are a number of books out there that describe the fascinating history of particular plants, gardens, or gardeners. Whether or not you possess a green thumb, or just an admiration for the gardening talents of others, these books will be sure to inspire you to spend a little more time admiring the beauty found in the garden.

History lovers and anglophiles will be captivated by Queen Elizabeth in the Garden: A Story of Love, Rivalry, and Spectacular Gardens by Trea Martyn. In her book, Martyn explores the rivalry between the two most powerful men in the kingdom during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (her suspected lover) and William Cecil, Baron Burghley (her trusted advisor). Martyn’s account of the rivalry between these two men explores the queen’s love of the outdoors, and how Dudley and Cecil created spectacular gardens to curry the favor of their queen and encourage her to spend more time at their estates. Those not familiar with this exciting period of British history will find that Martyn provides enough detail about the characters and events to bring them up to speed. Gardeners will love the descriptions of the elaborate gardens at Dudley’s estate, Kenilworth, and Cecil’s gardens at Theobald’s Palace, as well as the details provided about gardening during this era.

In Wicked Plants: the Weed that Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities, author Amy Stewart introduces us to the dark side of the plant kingdom by exposing us to the scandalous history of some rather perilous plants. Her ultimate goal, she says in her introduction, is not to scare us away from the outdoors, but to remind us that plants can be dangerous, and they deserve to be treated with the same respect and caution with which we approach the rest of the world. Gardeners will recognize morning glory, monkshood, and hemlock, all of which can be as dangerous as their more exotic brethren, such as the Yopo (a South American tree whose seeds contain a psychoactive compound that causes hallucinations and seizures) and the Mokihana (the official flower of the Hawaiian island of Kauai whose oils are highly toxic and cause a painful rash). Plant enthusiast or not, readers will find the stories that Stewart tells about each botanical bandit both fascinating and enlightening.

While some plants have dangerous properties, others can lead to dangerous obsessions. In Tulipomania: The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused, author Mike Dash gives a detailed account of this spectacular bulb. Starting with its origin in the Tien Shan Mountains of China (where it grew wild), Dash explains the tulip’s journey to the Ottoman Empire, (where it was revered for its beauty and perfection and first cultivated) and tells of its eventual arrival in Holland in the 1600s. Dash then goes on to describe the tulip mania that ensued until the market for tulips crashed spectacularly, causing economic ruin for the investors and speculators caught up in the frenzy for these beautiful flowers. While gardeners and economists will be most interested, readers who enjoy history will also be captivated by the story of the tulip and its rise and fall as the world’s most coveted flower.

The tulip is not the only flower that has inspired mania in its admirers. The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Beautiful Orchid by Craig Pittman exposes a tale of intrigue and obsession in the world of orchids. Pittman begins by describing the history of the Marie Selby Botanical Garden in Sarasota Florida and identifying the principle players in the story. He tells about the discovery of a rare orchid in Peru in 2002 and the legal issues with its transportation to the United States for identification by the experts at Selby. Along the way, Pittman reveals quite a bit about the history of the cultivation of orchids and the issues that threaten these plants in the wild. Readers may be surprised to discover that the orchid industry generates $44 billion annually, and that rare varieties can sell for thousands of dollars. Gardeners and environmentalists will find the story informative and thought provoking, but will also have to face some rather sober realizations about the challenges associated with safeguarding nature’s treasures.

Additional recommended titles:

Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation by Andrea Wulf

In the Garden with Billy: Lessons about Life, Love & Tomatoes by Renea Winchester

The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievement of Earthworms by Amy Stewart

Women and TheirGardens: A History from the Elizabethan Era to Today by Catherine Horwood 

 

Cruising the World

Cruising can be a very relaxing vacation. The vacationer is pampered with nice rooms, attentive staff, great food and entertainment. However if you don’t do your research ahead of time then your cruise can go wrong very quickly. You could have a great experience on one cruise, and yet another cruise by the same company can be a disaster. Online research is one venue of getting the scoop from different cruise lines, but it is difficult be sure that the reviews or even the website are done by professionals or amateurs.

The book I use for good unbiased information is the Berlitz CompleteGuide to Cruising and Cruise Ships. This book gives you the histories of all the cruise line from Carnival Cruise Lines to the smaller European river cruises. In a convenience format, it will help you choose your Cruise Company and ship. It also gives you tips on how to make the most of your money and avoid rip-offs. The book details the pros and cons of most cruise lines. The book is unique from most cruise books because of the details on individual cruise ships currently afloat. This is useful information since the quality your cruising experience will vary from ship to ship. They rate each ship and honestly state the strength and deficiency of each ship.

Fodor’s has a couple of books on destination cruises, The Complete Guide toEuropean Cruises and The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises. In both books, Fodor’s gives details on what you can do in each port of call within the time constraints of the ship, usually 4-5 hours. Of concern for most cruise novices is on how to get off the ship for a port of call and get around the area. Don’t worry, these books state in the front of each chapter where the ship will be docked, how to get ashore, and transportation needs. Also the books inform you if any local currency is needed, any extra charges, and safety concerns that a cruise tourist needs to know about. In every location that they mention, the books provide a map of the country and the local area.

Don’t have time to read all these great material? The library does a smaller cruising book titled Cruising: All Questions Answered. It answers many of the basic questions like where to go, the cost, excursions, cruising companies, and others. It does a great job getting to the heart of the matter: how to have a great cruise. This book however does not detail individual ships.

Armed with this information and a destination in mind, your next cruise can be a memorable experience.

Goodbye Michael Crichton

I’ve been thinking lately about my favorite suspenseful books. One of my all-time favorites is Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. He has had some truly suspenseful stories. The blog installment is an ode to Crichton. But it is also an acknowledgement of other great writers who have the same flair for storytelling (with a lot of science).

I assume the final book by Michael Crichton is Micro. Before his death in 2008, he had written approximately a third of the story. The remaining novel was co-written by Richard Preston.  Seven graduate students, including venomologist Peter Jansen, are invited to Hawaii by Eric Jansen, Peter’s older brother, to be recruited by the mysterious Nanigan MicroTechnologies Corporation. The day before their flight, Eric is in a boating accident and presumed dead. The group goes to Hawaii to discover that Nanigan MicroTechnologies has pioneered miniaturizing machines and humans to presumably work on methods of curing disease. Unfortunately, the founder Vin Drake has found that miniaturizing machines and humans can be used to murder anyone who gets in the way. Vin Drake miniaturizes the group of grad students and abandons them in to their fate in the Hawaiian rain forest. In this micro-world, the group has to survive confrontations with giant ants, wasps and other assorted creatures. They must find a way to be returned to their normal size and stop Vin Drake from getting away with multiple murders. There is a great deal of action with a lot of scientific detail- classic Crichton.

Richard Preston has the same knack for writing as Crichton. He is the author of The Hot Zone and The Demon in the Freezer. Panic in Level 4  is a collection of 6 non-fiction stories ranging from a story about an arborist’s study of hemlock trees to a genetic condition that causes people to compulsively chew their own skin to the ebola virus. Richard Preston has an impressive ability to explain scientific events in an interesting way. He was a perfect choice to step in as coauthor of Micro.

 
Before the movie, there was the book- JurassicPark written by Michael Crichton. Due to the popularity of the movie, the plot is probably well-known. Scientists have discovered a way to retrieve DNA from dinosaurs and clone it. As an experiment, other scientists are invited to the dinosaur theme park. What happens next is the worst case scenario for everyone. It’s an exciting, suspenseful story about what can happen when science goes too far.

Although Michael Crichton is gone, we have one last sample of his writing in Micro. Luckily, we also have a variety of other talented authors who continue Michael Crichton’s legacy to make science suspenseful and entertaining.

Other Science Suspense Books by Michael Crichton
Sphere
The Lost World
Prey

Books by Richard Preston
The Wild Trees
The Demon in the Freezer
Fiction
The Cobra Event

Invasive Procedures by Orson Scott Card
Intervention by Robin Cook

We’re the FBI and We Always Get Our Man

I have always been a big fan of Romantic Suspense novels.  I have especially enjoyed the ones dealing with the FBI.   These novels grab you in the first sentence and keep you up late at night trying to finish. The balance of romance and suspense are different in each; some romance plays the major role and in others, suspense gets the upper hand.

One of the first FBI thrillers that I read was Catherine Coulter’s The Cove which was published in 1996 and was the beginning of her bestselling Sherlock and Savich series, although Savich just has a minor role and Sherlock is not in the book at all.  The book begins with Sally Brainerd fleeing from D.C. after her Senator father is murdered.  She is the prime suspect but has no memory of what happened and may very well have killed him.  She winds up in this quaint village on the west coast, The Cove.  The FBI sends Special Agent James Quinlan undercover to follow and befriend Sally.  Sally and James begin to not only investigate her father’s murder but also the strange number of people that have been disappearing from the Cove.  Through twists and turns, both resolutions are unexpected and shocking.

Another good FBI suspense is Twisted by Andrea Kane.  Former FBI agent Sloane Burbank is an independent consultant in crisis resolution.  Her childhood friend mysteriously disappears, and Sloane cannot help but get involved.  FBI Special Agent in Charge and former lover, Derek Parker, partners with Sloane as they discover that seemingly random disappearances and murders are linked.  Then Sloane becomes the killer’s next target.  Through the dark twisted pathways of a serial killer’s mind, the novel grabs you from the very beginning and doesn’t let go until the final page is turned.  You might need the lights on for this one.

Another very suspenseful FBI thriller is Allison Brennan’s Sudden Death.  When a homeless veteran is found brutally tortured and murdered in Sacramento, FBI agent Megan Elliot takes it personally, especially after the killer mails the vet’s dog tags to her home.  Her investigation leads her to suspect that someone is going on a nationwide torture and killing spree of former Delta Force soldiers.  Jack Kincaid, mercenary and former Delta Force, is separately pursuing an investigation of the murder of one of his friends.  By-the-book Megan and Burn-the-book Jack are forced to team up as their cases link.  This book is less romance and not for the faint of heart as the torture and depraved sex acts that the killers commit are gruesome indeed.  However, the storyline is absorbing and kept me engrossed.

My favorite of the FBI romantic suspense subgenre is Julie Garwood’s FBI series.  It has the right mix of romance, suspense and humor.  The first one of the series is Heartbreaker.  Father Tom Madden is in the confessional when a man says, “Bless me Father for I will sin”.  Chillingly he describes his past of stalking and killing, and then names his next victim, Father Tom’s sister Laurant.  Father Tom’s best friend, FBI agent Nick Buchanan can’t refuse his friend’s call for help.  The killer makes it clear that if Laurant hides, he will kill someone else.  In Father Tom’s and Laurant’s small Iowa town, Nick and Laurant pretend to be a couple to draw out the killer.  An attraction grows between the two but one false move could kill them both. 

Additional Recommended Titles:

Bait by Karen Robards  

The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner

The Bliss Factor by Penny McCall

Left to Die by Lisa Jackson

The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood

The Maze by Catherine Coulter

Move Over Superman: Literary Graphic Novels

So we’ve all heard it before, comic books are trash.  They’ll rot your brain.  You should read a “real book” instead. Yeah, comics and graphic novels definitely have a bad rep.  In fact, in the 1940’s and 50’s their reputation was so bad that they were often blamed for juvenile delinquency, homosexuality, and lower intelligence levels.  Things got so bad that the comic book industry was investigated by Congress to see if reading Superman would really make someone stupid or want to rob a bank.

Luckily things have gotten better for the format in the last few decades.  The question remains, however, is a graphic novel capable of conveying the same emotional depth and complex, thought provoking ideas as a traditional novel?  The answer is a resounding yes! 

Mauss: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman is one of my favorite literary graphic novels and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992.  Told in two parts, this biographical comic follows the author’s parents, who were Polish Jews during World War II, as they go from denial, to attempted escape, to eventual capture and incarceration at Auschwitz.  However, this is more than just a story about the Holocaust, the book also tells the story of a father and son who struggle to relate to each other when they have lived such different lives.  The art is striking, and while it is cartoonish at times in it depictions of the Jews as mice and Germans as cats, is jarring in its harshness at others.  

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is another story of a family caught up in a war.  Through the eyes of her childhood self, Marjane Satrapi tells how her family held high hopes when the hated Shah was overthrown in the Iranian Revolution, only to see those hopes shattered as Islamic fundamentalist took over the country, taking away what few freedoms they had left.  She watches as family friends disappear and her mother puts black curtains over their windows to keep their neighbors from informing on them.   While Marjane herself is witty and defiant, the images in this book are stark, illustrating the bleakness of her family’s situation.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang was a national book award finalist in 2006 and mixes Chinese mythology with modern storytelling to weave a tale of self-discovery and, more importantly, acceptance.  In this book Yang tells three seemingly separate tales. One of a young Chinese- American boy who moves from San Fransico’s Chinatown to a suburban neighborhood where he is one of only two Asian students at his school, one of Chin-Kee, the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype personified, and one of Chinese mythology’s powerful Monkey King. These seemingly separate stories come together through a strange twist to form a truly climactic and philosophical ending that readers will never see coming.

Finally my absolute favorite literary graphic novel is The Arrival by Shaun Tan which tells its entire story through art with no need for words.  Through Tan’s incredibly detailed and beautiful pencil drawings the universal immigrant experience is revealed as the main character travels to a faraway land where nothing is familiar.  Strange creatures, food, and customs abound as he tries to make a better life for himself and his family.  He is helped along the way by kind strangers who in turn have their own stories. 

 

So whether you’re an avid graphic novel reader looking for a bit more substance, or new to the genre, there are many literary graphic novels out there to choose from.  Don’t believe me?  Try some of these other great titles!

Buddah by Osamu Tezuka

Blankets by Craig Thompson

Level Up by Gene Luen Yang 

Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle

Off Screen Talents

Most of us have a favorite celebrity. We have seen all of their movies or listened to all of their CDs; we have read interviews they do in the latest magazines. I will admit that I am probably obsessed with Taylor Swift, but she hasn’t written a book for me to read, yet.  There are celebrities who have written books that have made their way to our shelves here at the Bartow County Library System. Now, I can hear some of you groaning all the way from here. “A celebrity written book? Surely they aren’t any good,” and you will go back to reading the latest novel written by your favorite author. Trust me, though, some times books written by celebrities can surprise you. 

Comedian Steve Martin is probably better known for his stint on SNL and his starring roles in movies like The Jerk and the Father of the Bride movies.  Martin has also written a number of novels, his most recent being " An Object of Beauty". The novel tells the story of Lacey Yeager, a young woman who gets her first job out of college at Sotheby’s, the art auction house in New York.   Narrated by Lacey’s art critic friend, Daniel, we see the rise and fall of a young woman who becomes obsessed with the art world.  She learns that the more beautiful something is, the more value it has in the moneyed world she inhabits. Lacey’s obsession leads her to take bigger gambles with her career and money that ultimately causes problems with her future as the art world becomes more tumultuous.  Lacey becomes entangled, both emotionally and financially.  If you are not well acquainted with the artists and paintings mentioned, colored reproductions are woven into the narrative of the story.

If Steve Martin isn’t your cup of tea, try "The Gun Seller" by Hugh Laurie, who is known for his performance as Dr. House in the television show of the same name and as a British comedian. "The Gun Seller" is about Thomas Lang, a former Army officer who is now working as a hired gun. When Lang is hired to assassinate an American business man, Lang decides to go to Amsterdam and warn his target instead. However, the simple decision Lang makes to warn his target turns into something much larger. Lang suddenly finds himself involved in a potential terrorist plot and a conspiracy about a top-secret attack helicopter that is being developed by the government.  Laurie’s novel is a satire of most spy novels, but is very enjoyable to read and would be perfect for fans of adventure novels written by Clive Cussler or spy thrillers by John Le Carre.

But if you want something lighter and more inspirational, country singer Sara Evans has written a book that is probably right up your alley. "The Sweet By and By" tells the story of eccentric curio shop owner Jade in quaint Whisper Hollow, Tennessee. Jade is a few weeks away from getting married and has to reconcile her relationship with her hippie mother, Beryl. While her fiancé, Max, seems perfect, Jade has her own secrets that her mother’s arrival in town brings back to the forefront of her peaceful life. Beryl also has her own secrets to reveal to her daughter before her wedding and before it’s too late to say anything. The story is sweet and romantic, without being over the top. It’s an inspirational story that is easy to read and you can definitely see Evans’ country-singer background within the novel because it has elements of the simple and sweet songs she is known for.

Steve Martin, Hugh Laurie, and Sara Evans all have great talents when it comes to story-telling, and they all successfully told entertaining and enjoyable reads.  Here are some other recommended celebrity books:

Love Lifted Me by Sara Evans
A Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffett 

Elixir by Hilary Duff

Surrender the Pink by Carrie Fisher

Man in White by Johnny Cash   

The Justice Riders by Chuck Norris