Nevermore: My Thomas, Treatment Trap, Seinfeldia, Girl in the Spider's Web, and Archie Andrews

Reported by Ambrea

Nevermore kicked things off with a historical novel by Roberta Grimes, My Thomas.  An intriguing novel of “what-if,” My Thomas tells the story of Mary Skelton and Thomas Jefferson as they navigate the treacherous political scene of the American colonies—and, eventually, make a life for themselves together.  Our reader said Grimes’ novel was an interesting take on Mary Skelton and Thomas Jefferson; however, she noted that she didn’t learn very much about Martha.  Several passages are borrowed from Martha’s scant correspondences and diaries, as well as Jefferson’s own personal records, to lend a feeling of authenticity to the novel, but it revealed precious little about Martha.  Our reader said it was a pretty good book, but she would have liked to have learned more about Thomas Jefferson’s wife.

Next, Nevermore dived right back into the medical field with The Treatment Trap:  How the Overuse of Medical Care is Wrecking Your Health and What You Can Do to Prevent It by Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh.  Gibson, a medical care provider, and Singh, a medical care professional in the financial department, offer an in-depth look at health care and the overuse of medical care in American daily life.  They take a critical look at wasteful practices, including unnecessarily invasive procedures, needless surgeries, and overuse of potentially deadly tests, and even offer an outline to reform the extravagant costs and senseless waste of resources.  Our reader, who said she had personal experience with the overuse of medical care, found Gibson and Singh’s book to be incredibly fascinating.  Overall, she enjoyed The Treatment Trap and she highly recommended it to her fellow readers.

Our reader also shared Seinfeldia:  How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, a brand new book at the library.  Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld created Seinfeld, a silly sitcom about a comedian living in New York, sitting around, talking to his friends, and, in general, struggling to make a living in one of the country’s most populous cities.  But, much to David and Seinfeld’s surprise, Seinfeld took off and quickly became one of the most beloved programs in recent history.  Our Nevermore reader described it as an interesting and thoroughly researched book for its insight into the television show and the actors involved.  She said, “If you’re a Seinfeld fan, it’s great.  But if you’re not a fan, you’ll wonder what’s going on?”

Additionally, Nevermore decided to revisit The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz.  A sequel to the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson—The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest—The Girl in the Spider’s Web follows the continuing adventures of Lisbeth Salander, a genius hacker, and Mikael Blomkvist, a crusader journalist.  Together, they explore an underground world of cybercriminals, spies, and shadowy government agencies that would sooner kill someone than let their secrets escape.  Our reader was thrilled with Lagercrantz’s sequel.  She said it had all of the characteristics she loved about the original novels and “it makes you think you’re reading another book by Stieg Larsson.”  She highly recommended it to her fellow Nevermore members, especially fans of Larsson’s previous novels.

Last, our readers looked at a brand new graphic novel featuring a beloved comic book character, Archie Andrews.  In Archie:  The New Riverdale (Volume 1) by Mark Waid, Fiona Stables, Veronica Fish, and Annie Wu, readers have the opportunity to dive back into Archie’s world and explore a new Riverdale with all the modern amenities.   A curious blend of new and old, Archie proved to be a fun and intriguing twist on the famous high school teen.  Our reader, who admitted she wasn’t a big fan of Archie, said she really enjoyed reading Mark Waid’s updated version of this classic.  It brought together great story-telling, intriguing characters, and all the fun one would expect out of the classic Archie.  She highly recommended it to her fellow readers, even if they weren’t fans of the original Archie.

Happy Independence Day!

Comments by Jeanne

I don't have a book review for today-- or, rather, I don't have one that seems to fit the Fourth of July, that most American of holidays.  John Adams wrote to his wife in 1776 that he believed Independence Day would be celebrated with with "Pomp And Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations" and he has certainly been proven correct. . . except that he thought the day would be July 2.  The change came about because when copies of the Declaration of Independence were circulated, the date at the top was July 4, the date on which at least some of the signing took place, instead of July 2, the date when the committee approved the wording.  Interestingly enough, both John Adam and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. Adams' last words were reported to be "Thomas Jefferson still survives." Ironically, this was the second time Adams was wrong:  Jefferson had passed away a few hours earlier.

You can read a transcription and see an image of that John Adams letter along with others here:

John Adams Letter


The Library of Congress has a treasure trove of information on American history but this is one of my favorites:    Patriotic Melodies   Here you can see historic copies of sheet music as well as hear versions of songs including  The Star Spangled Banner, Hail Columbia, God Bless America, This Land is Your Land, and many others.

That is just one small section of what the Library of Congress has to offer.  Topics range from Civil War photos to the George Washington papers to fiddle music to slave narratives.  There's even a section on Dolly Parton and her musical influences.

So have a happy and safe Independence Day and take a few minutes to celebrate our National Treasures, including the Library of Congress and Dolly. 

[Dolly Parton as Uncle Sam]. Image. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200003676. (Accessed July 04, 2016.)

Nevermore: Jefferson, Boy Kings, and More

History seemed to be Nevermore’s theme this week.  The first book mentioned was Your Inner Fish:  A Journey into the 3.5 Billion Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin.  Our reviewer found it a fascinating look at how various human organs and structures have their beginnings in very different forms of life:  a fish, a sponge, or a fly.  Shubin is a paleontologist and professor of anatomy, but the book is written so that a layperson can understand it.  Another member decided to read it as well.

A Cultural Handbook to the Bible by John J. Pilch is a collection of essays which tries to expand our understanding of the Bible by explaining the culture at the time.  Our reviewer wasn’t certain that was relevant; that it was written so that it would be applicable no matter the time or culture.  Other members found it to be both entertaining and enlightening.

Two new books about Thomas Jefferson also drew comments. In Master of the Mountain:  Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves,  author Henry Wiencek makes a compelling case that Jefferson had realized that agriculture was not the way to wealth.  Breeding and selling slaves was far more profitable.  Our reviewer noted that this is not the picture we like to see of Jefferson, but it’s important that people see historical figures in full context.  Jud mentioned the award-winning YA book Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, which dealt with Jefferson and his relationship to his slaves in a fictionalized way, but fiction backed up by much research.  Jon Meacham’s Thomas Jefferson:  The Art of Power is a more conventional portrait, emphasizing the intelligence, the passion for the new nation, and the appreciation for fine things, like books and wine.  Our reviewer called this the traditional view, seeing Jefferson as a product of his time.

Stranger to History:  A Son’s Journey Through Islamic Lands by Aatish Taseer is a book that’s both personal and global.  Taseer’s mother was Sikh, but his father was a Pakistani Muslim.  After his father’s assassination, Taseer embarked on a tour of Islamic countries as a way to try to understand his father and his father’s faith.  Taseer offers some fascinating insights into the various cultures and beliefs. The author is a journalist who has written for Time, The Financial News, and Esquire.

Our last reviewer was impressed by Domingo Martinez’s memoir of growing up Mexican in Texas in the 1980s.  In Boy Kings of Texas, the reader is introduced to a macho culture that often lures young men into traps, causing them to repeat mistakes.  Even with the same country of origin, the Texas Mexican community is far different than its California counterpart, but both struggle with identity as both Mexicans and Americans.  The book serves as both a coming of age story and a sociological examination of a culture.