Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

Winner of the Bellwether Prize for fiction, Mudbound is a very powerfully written story set mostly on a farm in the Mississippi delta after World War II. The Bellwether Prize was established by Barbara Kingsolver to recognize socially responsible fiction by new authors.  This title deals with racism, sexism, and some of the effects of war and social change as part of the story.  The story is told from multiple points of view, with each of the main characters “telling” a chapter in chronological order and then having other characters “talk” until time has moved forward and it’s again their turn for a chapter.This is the kind of writing and story-telling that I simple can’t put down once I get started.  The quote from Barbara Kingsolver on the cover is “This is storytelling at the height of its powers….Hillary Jordan writes with the force of a Delta storm.”  How true.

Maisie Dobbs

Maisie Dobbs is a very unique and special fictional character in Jacqueline Winspear’s well-written mystery series.  The latest title in the series is An Incomplete Revenge, which I just finished reading.  What I enjoy about this series, which is set during and after World War I in England, is watching the process Maisie uses to solve mysteries and repair relationships.  Maisie has a very different (and rather psychological or Buddhist) way of approaching investigations.  It’s also fun watching Maisie cope with her own human frailty and blind spots and overcome her “disadvantages.”  And I just like it when a strong woman character develops her potential and makes a go of things in a society that doesn’t offer a whole lot of opportunities and support for that, and does so in a way that empowers others as well.

Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

What a wonderful book and well-done audiobook!  I enjoyed listening The Friday Night Knitting Club so much, even through some tears!  It’s a little idealistic along the lines The Walton’s TV show was, but the people still feel very real, and I got caught up in their lives and found myself rooting for them and often having the satisfaction of seeing them grow and change and succeed (in careers, school, and relationships).  Georgia and her 12-13 year-old bi-racial daughter Dakota, Georgia’s mentor/supporter Arlene, Dakota’s father James, deli-owner Marty, and all the women of the Friday Night Knitting Club are each unique and special.  Walker and Daughter live and have their small yarn shop in Manhattan.   Carrington McDuffie does a wonderful job narrating the Blackstone audiobook, which the Library has in CD and as a downloadable audiobook in our Digital Library.

CyberSkeptic Tips for March

Here at Central we take a publication called “The CyberSkeptic’s Guide to Internet Research.”  This month’s publication gives several links to the FBI FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) website.  Here researchers can read about many famous investigations performed by the FBI including UFO sightings and celebrity scandals.  There are many different FOIA electronic reading rooms for the different departments of the US government, just Google FOIA Reading Room to find them.

New Month …

Happy March to all, and to those looking for something to celebrate, look no further.  Historically, March has been celebrated as the beginning of the new year by many cultures (Great Britain did until 1752.)  On a more recent note, in the United States March is National Red Cross Month, National Caffeine Awareness Month, National Cheerleading Safety Month, National Nutrition Month, and National Women’s History Month.  On this particular day in history, Alexander Graham Bell was born, Time Magazine was first published (85 years ago), and TV show “Moonlighting” premiered in 1985.  There are many more interesting facts to be found about this month.  To learn more, talk to your Reference Librarian.