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Lines from the Library (May 2002)
By Frankie Shaw Are you a reader of fiction or fact books? Many of our library users are drawn to either one or the other and would not consider reading anything else, but if you read only factual books then you may be unaware that there are many things to learn from fiction; things not set out clearly in black and white, but which are only made known by dint of the author's skill, and after some degree of reflection on the part of the reader. Working here in the library and surrounded by the offerings of what was, for each author the focus of their lives at the time of writing, the project which occupied all their thoughts, I confess that I am a lover of words; how words are used, how they sound, the meanings they convey, the insights they give us about the writer's true intents. Depending on the author's skill, words have the power to convey joy or anguish, delight or despair. By reading fiction, we understand that appearances can deceive, the outwardly wise can be the inwardly foolish, the apparently generous can be mean, the lamb can be the wolf. Readers of fiction are drawn to many genres within that category. We have the mystery buffs, the thrillers only, the western and romance fans, the science fiction and fantasy types. I like novels about real life, the joys, pains and the humour of everyday situations. Two of my current favourite authors are, among others, Carol Shields and Elizabeth Berg. They are observant of the minutest details of human nature, and can convey, through the written word, every nuance of the human experience, to the delight of those who appreciate the art of the wordsmith. They have the wisdom of insight into life's challenges, and get inside the skin of their characters, so that the reader can understand how they think and feel. If you are a menopausal woman or an andropausal male (let's not be sexist here!), and have some questions about life, then read Happenstance, Larry's Party and The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields, or read Elizabeth Berg's The Pull of the Moon followed by the seventh story from her latest offering Ordinary Life, and you will learn quite a lot! Whatever your preference, try something different and be open to something new, Often when reading a novel, you will finish it wiser than you were when you started it. The very best books are those which you don't want to end, having enjoyed so much the experience of reading. That's what books are all about! Our very sincere thanks to friend of the library Lynn Hanning, who recently donated some excellent videos. New additions to our shelves Non-Fiction Goleman, Tara. Emotional Alchemy; how the mind can heal the heart. Cooper, Petrinella. Gypsy Magic; a Romay book of spells, charms and fortune-telling. Dummies series. E-Bay for Dummies. Fox, Michael J. Lucky Man. Green, Bernice B. Teach Me to Read Letter by Letter. HRH The Prince of Wales. Highgrove; portrait of an estate. MacMillan, Don. John Deere Tractors. Munro, Sheila. Lives of Mothers and Daughters; growing up with Alice Munro. Perkell, Colin. Well of Lies; the Walkerton water tragedy. Ramsey, Dan. Complete Idiot's Guide to Building Your Own Home. Rosenbaum, Stephanie. Honey from Flower to Table. Thomas, Marlo. The Right Words at the Right Time. Fiction. Bissoondath, Neil. Doing the Heart Good. Butala, Sharon. Real Life. Clark, Mary Higgins. Daddy's Little Girl. Connelly, Michael. City of Bones. Cumyn, Alan. Burridge Unbound.(Giller Prize finalist) Higgins, Jack. Midnight Runner. Johansen, Iris. Body of Lies. Kingsolver, Barbara. Small Wonder. Mistry, Rohinton. Family Matters. Patterson, James. 2nd Chance. Peters, Elizabeth. Golden One. Ricci, Nino. Testament. Sandford, John. Mortal Prey. Seymour, Gerald. The Untouchable. Shields, Carol. Unless. Shreve, Anita. Sea Glass. Trollope, Joanna. Girl from the South. Waller, James. A Thousand County Roads. ( an epilogue to the Bridges of Madison County) Wright, Richard. In the Middle of a Life. Words have power! -Frankie You can read more about the Puslinch Library by going to A Puslinch Diary. You can read previous Lines from the Library here: February 2002 November 2001 October 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 |