Reported by Garry
Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervla Murphy tells the 1963 story of the author taking her bicycle (which she named Roz) on a solitary international journey from Ireland, through Europe, into Afghanistan and Pakistan, ending in New Delhi. Murphy kept a diary, which has been transcribed into this book, recording her interactions with locals, the weather, treacherous mountain roads, and the beauty of the raw landscapes she traveled through. More just a pure travelogue, Murphy has deep insights into the cultures and writes passionately and empathetically about the different peoples that she came across. Our reader loves travelogues, and was nearly overwhelmed by the risky situations in which Murphy found herself. (She did carry a pistol, and actually had to use it a couple of times.) Our reader loved this book and recommends not only this title, but another book by Murphy The Island that Dared - a recounting of her travels in Cuba in 2006 and 2007. CD
A Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris is a collection of diary entries from 2003-2020. In his inimitable writing style, Sedaris records the quirky, bizarre, and mundane with a sharp eye and even sharper wit. Sedaris speaks at venues worldwide, so this book covers his experiences in France, England, the UK, Japan, and many other locations around the world – all with their own unusual and hilarious customs and mores – which Sedaris weaves into a mesmerizing, riotous series of thoughtful, caustic yarns. Our reader is a fan of Sedaris’ work and highly recommends this latest work by the prolific essayist. MH
A Melungeon Winter by Patrick Bone was a fortuitous find at the recent Friends of the Library Book Sale. Bone is a Tennessee-based author of multiple books including this historical fiction set in the 1950s in the Appalachian Mountains, recounting the story of Jubalee and Robert, two young men (one white, one black) whose friendship runs afoul of the racial tensions of the time. Jubalee’s father is wrongly convicted of murder, and Jubalee and Robert set out to uncover the truth with the help of an assortment of odd characters, including the feared Melungeon hermit, Denny Mullins. Our reader was thrilled with this find that she picked up, and thought this who-dun-it set in the local mountains was a delightful read. She also read and recommends Aliens of Transylvania County by the same author. KN
The Great Irish Potato Famine by James Donnelly is an account of the late 1840s famine which resulted in the death of about one million people and was also largely responsible, in conjunction with British government policies, for one of the greatest international human migrations of British history. Between the years of 1845 and 1855, nearly one million people died, and close to two million (20% – 25% of the entire population) left Ireland, most for North America. This book combines narrative, analysis, historiography, and scores of contemporary illustrations. Our reader found this to be a fascinating, harrowing look at one of the greatest exoduses from a single island in recorded history. KN
Also mentioned:
Onion John by Joseph Krumgold
The Coal Tattoo by Silas House
Every Patient Tells A Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis by Lisa Sanders
Rules for Aging by Roger Rosenblatt
The Truth About COVID-19: Exposing the Great Reset, Lockdowns, Vaccine Passports, and the New Normal by Joseph Mercola and Ronnie Cummins
Dune by Frank Herbert
The Second-Worst Restaurant in France by Alexander McCall Smith
Roots by Alex Haley
The African Americans – Many Rivers to Cross by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder
Between Certain Death and a Possible Future: Queer Writing on Growing Up with the AIDS Crisis edited by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore
The Wrath of Angels by John Connolly
Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Seeking the Swan: A Selection of Winning Entries from the Annual Writing Competition of West Virginia Writes, Inc. 1996 – 2006 (West Virginia Writers Anthology)
Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn Jourdan
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes
Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna by Mario Giordano
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