I like this premise--identifying the tiny things that make us so very happy. In these trying times, the success of this book (& accompanying website) show how we are all craving the identification of good things. I think the word "awesome" is so misused but I use it myself, so who am I kidding? It seems like I gravitate toward the entries about sleeping. There was one about waking up and still realizing you have more time to sleep (I love that). There was one about how good it feels to slip into fresh sheets--oh, yeah! And then there was one about how amazing it is to flip your pillow and have a whole new feeling of relaxation. Oh, yes, the little things--they ARE wonderful. Thanks, Wisconsin Public Radio, for interviewing the author!

Remember that I am a reader who enjoys "characters". This book was perfect for me! Olive Kitteridge is a high school math teacher in a small town and a force to be reckoned with. She is married to Henry and they have a son Christopher. This is a book of 13 short stories and in each one we receive a different perspective of Olive. The first story introduces us to Henry--it is a very smart and interesting way to begin the book. You are pulled right in. In an interview with the author in the end pages, Elizabeth Strout indicates that she chose to write the book this way to give the reader a break from Olive. Yes, this makes sense! Olive is that strong a character. I can't say I learned to like Olive but I certainly learned to understand her. And I enjoyed her forthrightness that she exhibited at most times. When she chose not to be forthright I think we learn even more about her and her desire to mature and be a better person? I could see all the characters and how they harbored misconceptions about one another--I think we all do that. And even when we seek the truth about other people do we really ever know their stories or their psychology or how they have become who they are. Fascinating stuff! Great writing!

Cory Doctorow’s knowledge of new technology provides a detailed background for this intense tale of gaming in a near-future world. Poor working conditions, bad management and minimum living standards cause unions to take hold among teens and preteens around the world who earn a living for their families by working 14 hour days playing MMPORGs. In the games they work as “gold farmers” or in teams who help inexperienced rich newbies level up or earn a rare treasure; or they fight on the other side for the gaming companies to break up the groups.

As unionization becomes more dangerous these young people face beatings, factory closures and a fall back into dismal poverty. People from around the world, sometimes with little language in common and living on another continent become allies and sometimes friends. While full of action and violence—both real and in the worlds of games—this book includes discussions of economics, world trade, union pluses and minuses in terms of gaming.

Good for older teens or young adults especially if they are involved with gaming. Might be good for adults with teens or who don’t know anything about gaming as a window into a virtual world—to understand the compulsion to play. Focus is on the gaming world rather than developing the characters or great language.

Perfection! Jack Griffin is having a mid-life crisis (A layered topic handled deftly by Russo) that involves reconciling his past and his feelings & impressions of his parents with who he is. He evaluates his parents' marriage and the marriage of his in-laws. He thinks about his dreams that were shared with his wife and how they have changed over his 30 year marriage. He is also witnessing the future through the love life of his daughter and the love lives of her peers. Ultimately, the separation that he has with his wife is warranted and necessary. Russo is so talented at choreographing characters. We do feel that Jack is misunderstood and we struggle along with him as he tries to figure out his way. The Cape as setting and a place for Jack to resolve things is interwoven throughout the book. Terrific read. (I kept being reminded in this book of a story set on Martha's Vineyard--after searching I discovered that I was recalling a lengthy scene from "Empire Falls", also by Richard Russo--how wonderfully strange!)

I am a sucker for learning about famous people. In this book, Ozzy seems just as amazed and repulsed about his own life as we are. I found this way of looking at his life, along with him, somehow endearing. There is something so naive and sweet about this man. Just like any life story, there were incidents that made me laugh out loud (like the Vicar story) and occasions that brought a tear to my eye (when he didn't attend his mom's funeral because he knew it would turn into a media circus). And, of course, there is the plain astonishing. The story set in CA where he is testing for HIV and the doctor tells him that basically he should not be alive because of all the crap in his system and how he has no immune system left was surreal, horrifying, and expected. Ozzy peppers the entire book with British slang and cursing. I was familiar with most of the words or could tell what was meant via context. However, it seemed like some words were just clearly made up and probably wouldn't be available in any dictionary anywhere. That cracked me up, too. The guy is VERY FUNNY. So, if you are interested in the strange ups and downs of a rock icon, go for it. The reading is easy and the story is sleazy. Yet there are some smarts/creativity there. He wouldn't have made it as far as he did otherwise. And you have to give him HUGE credit for being sober these days. Fascinating.

This is a novel loosely based on the lives of Laura and George Bush. I found that intriguing but more importantly, the story was excellent. The last part of the book gives insights into what it must be like to live in the White House and how that would effect a marriage. Just because you're President does not mean that your spouse necessarily supports that or is in agreement with you about your politics! I kept wondering about Michelle Obama and how she is handling all of this right now. Curtis is a powerful writer. She is able to create all these points that come up again later in the story--that kept my mind alive and engaged. I don't want to create a spoiler but there is a symbol that is introduced early in the book which comes back up again toward the very end (long after you have forgotten about it). The way that Curtis a storyteller re-introduces it is truly masterful and becomes layered in meaning with this sentence: When I got my _______ back. Great job!

Into the Alabama of 1942 Virginia Wynette Pugh was born. Tammy Wynette didn’t become her name until the mid-1960s. She won a Grammy for Stand by your Man, her signature song, and was considered the First Lady of Country. She had four children and was married four times. Learn about her life from this detailed but highly readable account. Fascinating read.

Flavia de Luce is back! This 11-year-old genius with a penchant for poisons is plunged into a double mystery when a traveling puppet show makes an unscheduled visit. An uncanny resemblance of one of the marionettes to an victim of an unsolved murder causes her to venture to Gibbet Hill and discover events that the local constables have been unable to unravel. The eccentric characters and unwinding of the plot provide an engrossing mystery. The audio version is wonderful, with Jane Entwhistle providing a spot-on voice for Flavia, as she did in the first book The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

I have been a huge Olivia Goldsmith fan since 'First Wives Club'. This book was well written with strong characters. Jennifer is imprisoned because of a corporate crime that she did participate in. However, she was also set up as the fall gal. Through her time in prison she begins to learn respect for the other prisoners and realizes that conditions need to be improved in the prison. Using her financial savvy and her connections in the outside world she is able to turn the prison around. The prison warden is going through a midlife crisis and by teaming up with Jennifer they make positive change. Also, Goldsmith loves the exacting of revenge so there is a fair share of that, too, on the people(male) who set Jennifer up. There is one helpful, sensitive male--thank goodness--for relief. This book contains many subplots. But what I really liked was how many details I learned about actual prison life. Wow, it is an extremely difficult place to spend time emotionally. (I feel compelled to do something about prison reform myself after reading this book even though it was fiction.) I liked the title's play on words! I had no idea that the book was going to be about prison.

I was mesmerized by the title of this book and I was not disappointed! Amy is amazing. She knows that if we are not assertive about our time and our space, then we get what we deserve! Her stories of how she stands up for herself (and others) are enthralling. It also makes you wonder at people's boorish behavior. I am glad that she chose to end the book with a chapter about being kind and how that reaps all sorts of rewards. Kindness trumps rudeness any time!

The author is a staff writer for Life. Her previous book, The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries was a Borders Original Voices selection, and a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award.

When researching Marilyn discovered that librarians definitely do NOT fit their stereotype. She has met radical bloggers, heroic librarians, those who train students from around the world to get their degrees through computer networks they set up, Radical Reference groups who assist demonstrators, and tattooed children’s librarians. She interviewed virtual librarians in Second Life as well as the John Doe librarians gagged by the FBI and the Patriot Act. She met a dog librarian (of the American Kennel Club library), urban and rural librarians, and viewed astonishing book cart drill teams.

While not stinting on problems (IT department vs librarians, disgusting objects in the book drops, librarians who drag their feet in adapting to new technology, and most importantly, money) she believes that in this world of ever increasing information flow, only the librarian (a human trained to provide accurate reference service) and willing to help others—any others--can help keep things under control. Obviously librarians will be interested, whether they agree with all the points or not; but anyone who wants to know more about the in-depth world of librarians could do with this tour of the library world.

These stories are simply the sweetest and heart wrenching stories ever. Herriot has such a passion for the people in his village and surroundings. He is able to describe their relationship with their pets so well. He is not afraid to make you laugh and cry and he includes himself as a "victim." Simply charming.

Fabulous book that stands the test of time because it is about humanity and interrelationships. Herriot is such a fine writer--he can make you laugh, he can make you cry. Along with being so good at weaving a story, his descriptions make you feel that you are right there. Excellent! Plus you learn some things about being a vet!

The Carter family is considered musical pioneers who influenced the popularity of folk, country, and bluegrass music in the United States. This is a detailed but readable account of the lives of A.P. Carter and his brother Eck, their marriages to Sara and Maybelle Carter and their extended families. The lives of June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash are highlighted. Fascinating read!

Leo Gursky immigrated to New York City to escape Nazi officers in Poland. Leo is a lonely man with a dark sense of humor who lives day by day. His story is juxtaposed against the life of 14-year-old Alma Singer. This novel is complex, sad, humorous, and poetic.