VINEGAR GIRL Tops
June LibraryReads List
The fourth in the Hogarth series of modern re-tellings of Shakespeare tops the June LibraryReads list of the ten books librarians love, announced today.
Catherine Coyne, of Mansfield Public Library, Mansfield, MA explains how Anne Tyler interprets the Bard in Vinegar Girl (PRH/Hogarth; RH Audio; BOT):
“The newest entry in the Hogarth Shakespeare series brings The Taming of the Shrew into the modern world. Kate is stuck in a life taking care of her absent minded professor father and her sister, Bunny. When her father suggests a marriage of convenience in order to secure a green card for his lab assistant Pyotr, Kate is shocked. This is a sweet and humorous story about two people, who don’t quite fit in, finding each other. Tyler’s wonderful writing updates and improves on the original.”
Scroll down on this page to see the chart of what comes next and note Jo Nesbø takes on Macbeth in 2017.
The Invisible Library, Genevieve Cogman (PRH/Roc) marks the first in a series of Fantasy titles featuring an undercover librarian. Beth Mills, of New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY introduces Cogman’s debut title:
“Directed by powerful librarians, agents roam alternate realities searching out special volumes for their mysterious library’s collections. Irene is a spy for the library but something is a little off about her current mission; there’s something strange about her new assistant that she can’t quite put her finger on and worse, the requested volume has already been stolen. Cogman’s engaging characters and a most intriguing imagined world are sure to delight readers, especially bibliophiles.”
Keep an eye out for the next two books in the series, both due out before December and be sure to join our upcoming chat with the author on June 1.
Another debut to watch is Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi (PRH/Knopf; RH Audio; BOT), the subject of a ten-publisher bidding war.
Amanda Monson, of Bartow County Library System, Cartersville, GA says:
“An engaging family saga following two half-sisters – one who marries into privilege and one sold into slavery – and their descendants as they navigate the politics of their separate countries and their heritage. Each is directly affected in some way by the choices of the past, and finding the parallels in the triumphs and heartbreak makes for an engrossing read.”
The next in the Checquy Files series makes the list as well. Mary Bell, of Wilbraham Public Library, Wilbraham, MA writes this about Stiletto, Daniel O’Malley (Hachette/Little, Brown; Hachette Audio; Blackstone Audio):
“In the long-awaited sequel to The Rook, negotiations between two highly secret organizations, one based on science and reason and the other on the supernatural, are continuing. Odette and Pawn both come to the forefront of the story as we get more of the history of the groups and why mortal enemies would want to join forces. With its blend of intricate world-building and fantastical situations, Stiletto both surprised me and made me laugh.”
In nonfiction, Mary Roach returns with Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War (Norton; Brilliance Audio). Darren Nelson, of Sno-Isle Libraries, Marysville, WA offers this recommendation:
“With courageous curiosity, journalistic persistence, and a wry empathetic sense of humor, Roach once again delves into a fascinating topic few of us would openly explore. She writes about the issues confronting the military in its attempt to protect and enable combat troops. Roach brings to our attention the amazing efforts of science to tackle all the challenges of modern warfare. Grunt is another triumph of sometimes uncomfortable but fascinating revelation.”
The full list of recommendations was posted today.
May 13th, 2016 at 9:52 am
Seriously? Anne Tyler’s writing “updates and improves on the original?” Are you really comparing Anne Tyler’s writing to Shakespeare? I wasn’t aware he needed improvement.