The End: 50 Apocalyptic Visions From Pop Culture That You Should Know About...Before It's Too Late by Laura Barcella

There are some days where it seems like the end of the world could happen at any time. Global warming, terrorism, zombies: the end is near...at least in the movies. Films, books, plays, and art show some of the ways that people have expressed their views on the end of the world. In The End, 50 different visions of the apocalypse are explored in detail, examining how the world ends (and how likely it is to happen in real life).

There was something oddly reassuring about reading this book. Almost every scenario, whether it included viruses or zombies or the flooding of the entire earth, was said to be extremely unlikely to happen in real life - or, if it did, to have very different results than are shown in pop culture. I knew that I was going to like this book when one of the first things Laura Barcella talked about was the scarcity of women in strong, leading roles during "the end." Why is the apocalypse such a male-dominated event? Where are women while the world is ending? I also love serious explorations of popular culture; while this book maintains a light, often humorous tone, it does believe that there is something to be gained from examining how authors, directors, and artists have positioned the end of the world. Like many of Zest Books' other titles, this just screams "high interest" and is worth considering for inclusion in a library's non-fiction collection.

Check out Laura Barcella's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Zest books.

Find it at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's website.

Read it with:
The Stand by Stephen King
How to Fight, Lie, and Cry Your Way to Popularity (And a Prom Date) by Nikki Roddy
Reel Culture by Mimi O'Connor
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien 

How to Watch the Olympics by David Goldblatt and Johnny Acton

In one sense, it's easy to figure out how to watch the Olympics: find a TV station that has the broadcast rights or stream it online, and you're watching the Olympics. But what exactly are you watching? How does one score points in a judo match? What's the difference between kayaking, canoeing, and rowing? What are the events that make up the decathlon? What about the heptathlon? What makes the modern pentathlon so modern? And what exactly is a repechage? With chapters for each of the sports (as well as the opening and closing ceremonies, medal ceremonies, past Olympic games, and discontinued Olympic sports), How to Watch the Olympics aims to be your go-to reference book during the 2012 London Olympic Games.

As a big fan of the Olympics, the cover of this book caught my eye as I was browsing in an airport bookstore. I initially hoped that it would be a critical socio-political at the games (with possible topics including American broadcasting strategy, the amount of money spent on the games, gender equality and inequality). Instead, though, it was a history-slash-introduction of the games and the sports on display, something I was also interested in checking out. As a young girl I latched onto a copy of one of David Wallechinsky's Complete Book of the Olympics and read it over and over until the pages started falling out. That was almost twenty years ago, though, and  as I often feel with reference books, I wondered about its use in a world where so much information is available online; as I sat on my couch with my iPhone and this book, how many times would I reach for each one? I didn't keep track, but there have been times where I was reaching for the book (particularly during the cycling events). While I do think that this book would only be enhanced in some kind of ebook form that would allow links to video footage, maps, and more photographs, it can easily stand without these things (and, in fact, has to - it's very clear that this is an "unofficial" Olympic book and as such does not have any pictures of the Olympic rings, flames, or mascots). The intended audience is the average Olympic watcher - someone who might know something about a few of the sports but has little knowledge of others. It strikes a tone somewhere between chatty and instructional (and uses a lot of British expressions along the way). It could be read through from beginning to end, but also works if you want to pick it up and dip into sections as needed. I'd really love to see a companion version for the Winter Olympics as well as updated versions for future Games.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
The Complete Book of the Olympics 2012 Edition by David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky
The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer by David Goldblatt
Gold by Chris Cleave
Inside the Olympics by Nick Hunter

Regretsy: Where DIY Meets WTF by April Winchell

Like most things I find on the Internet, I have no idea how I first found Regretsy. It was probably written up somewhere - a blog? Entertainment Weekly? - and I hopped over to check it out. I know that I was already familiar with Etsy and this new blog provided a window into the sort of thing that I had never seen. Photographs with random nudity, jewelry in the shape of penises and vaginas, things that say they're steampunk but they are so not steampunk... it seemed like there was no end to these incredible listings. Regretsy is also available in book form; classic items are accompanied by commentary by April Winchell.

I knew that I would love this book, but I was surprised by how much I loved it. It's more than just a collection of Regretsy's greatest hits and new entries. Each chapter has an essay that explores different aspects of the Etsy/Regretsy world. What kind of statements are vagina necklaces really making? How do you foster creativity? Does everything deserve an audience? At the end of the book there are listings of the sellers featured in the book, the bios of the sellers, and even a space for the sellers to comment on Regretsy, their inclusion, and criticism in general. These inclusions took the book from an extension of the website (which would have been enough to be a solid book) to something that explores art, commerce, creativity, and criticism, all through the lens of 21st century society. I highly recommend checking this book out.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Cake Wrecks by Jen Yates
Read My Lips by Debby Herbenick and Vanessa Schick
That is Priceless by Steve Yelcher
Passive Aggressive Notes by Kerry Miller

The Violinist's Thumb by Sam Kean

Genes. DNA. Heredity. These are all things that people hear about, but how many of us really understand them? How do genes work, and what's their relationship to DNA? How was everything discovered, and who was it discovered by? Names like Mendel and Darwin, Watson and Crick are familiar, but who were the other people who played a role in the discovery of DNA? How did genes play a role in creating a brilliantly flexible violinist and a bronze-hued president? From the first tentative steps toward exploring the human body to the mapping of the human genome, The Violinist's Thumb takes you on an incredible journey of scientific discovery.

I was so excited to read this book. I had intended to read Sam Kean's first book, The Disappearing Spoon, but I still haven't picked it up. I wanted to read this one before anything else got in the way. I really liked the way the book was written. It's not always an easy read, but it's an enjoyable read. Some of the science can be quite dense, but I think that's to be expected. I wouldn't say that after reading this book I have a complete understanding of genes and DNA; saying that would be a disservice to the scientists who spend their entire careers learning about genes. I do, though, have a big more of an understanding about the questions that surround this branch of science. My favourite chapter was the one that discussed the impulse to retroactively diagnose famous people like John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, and Charles Darwin with diseases and genetic disorders; of course, having said that that one was my favourite, I have to now think about what that means about me and my enjoyment of a celebrity-obsessed culture. If you're looking for a satisfying non-fiction read that will provide you with both information and a dry, sometimes pun-based sense of humour, definitely check out this book.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Little, Brown and Company.

Check out Sam Kean's website.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA by Brenda Maddox

The Pregnancy Project: A Memoir by Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer

It's difficult to talk about teen pregnancy in a public way. Too often it takes either one of two routes: teen parents are either villainized, judged, and written off or glamourized and placed in situations that become so unlike the majority of teen parents. For her senior project, Gaby Rodriguez wanted to look beyond those portrayals to the real people that the pregnancy involves.Teen pregnancy was something that was very present in her life: her mother had been a teen mom, her brothers and sisters had faced teen pregnancy or young parenthood, and people always told her how she was destined to follow in their footsteps. For her project, Gaby decided to get pregnant - a fake pregnancy - and see how people reacted to her. Would they think that she was living down to expectations? Would the pregnancy nullify all of her good grades and her previous reputation? What would her friends say? What would people who didn't even know her say? Gaby wanted to compile their reactions and talk about the way that pregnant teens are treated. With only her mom, her boyfriend, and a few teachers in on the assignment, she had no idea what she was heading into.

The book is divided into three parts: before, during, and after the 'pregnancy.' I had expected most of the story to focus on pretending to be pregnant, so I was surprised when so much time was spent talking about her family and detailing her relationship with her brothers and sisters. This backstory, however, was crucial to understanding how passionate Gaby was about this project. She didn't just see teen pregnancy in the abstract; she saw it as part of her life. Equally interesting was the media reaction to the story. Almost overnight Gaby was courted by major television networks wanting to tell her story. Many people would think that it would be cool to have The Today Show or Good Morning America wanting to interview you, but when Gaby describes the way that the media hounded her and, for lack of a better word, stalked her, it's not the glamorous story that you might have had in mind. I did wonder how much of this was an attempt at shaping a story - in order to make it clear that she didn't want fame or a book deal or a Lifetime movie, does she go overboard in describing how she tried to hide from the media? Possibly. But I truly do believe that the project came from a very real place, a place that was determined to make a difference and change how people think about teen pregnancy. I do think that the book would have benefited from pictures, especially ones that show what Gaby looked like during her experiment, but the words can stand on their own. At just over two-hundred pages, it's not a long book, but it does tell an incredible story.

Gaby's story is also a Lifetime movie.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Not Afraid of Life by Bristol Palin
Science Fair Season by Judy Dutton
Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

Women, Popular Culture, and the Eighteenth Century edited by Tiffany Potter

The eighteenth century is quite present in the twenty-first century. It's found in the Jane Austen novels read by bookclubs and the movies that are made from those novels. It's in our ideas of performers and performance, writing and writers, and romance. It's in the way we think about the past and how the past informs the present. Women, Popular Culture, and the Eighteenth Century brings together the work of scholars from Canada, the United States, and around the world who explore the construction of culture and pop culture over the last four hundred years and what it means for women and society today.

When I saw the title of this book in NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. I love reading about popular culture and I have spent a lot of time thinking about women and femininity, so this seemed like a perfect fit. I was extremely pleased to find that the book not only covers culture in the eighteenth century but also how it exists and interacts in today's world. Recent film adaptations of Jane Austen novels, novels set in the seventeen hundreds, and mash-ups (like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) are all explored. There were also several areas that I had not read about before, including the role that women played in the development of the cookbook industry, stage performances and how they mirrored and directed ideas of womanhood, and the phenomenon of riddles and quizzing. The book has an academic tone and approach. It's been a few years now since I did a lot of academic reading for school, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. If you have an interest in any one of the three areas mentioned in the title make sure to check this book out; if you have an interest in more than one of the areas, this is the book for you.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of University of Toronto Press.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue
Love in Excess by Eliza Haywood
Artistic Impressions by Mary Louise Adams
According to Queeney by Beryl Bainbridge

Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong by Jen Yates

If you're a fan of the Cake Wrecks blog, you know exactly what kind of wrecktacular stuff you're going to be finding in this book. Misspelled words, literal directions, icing that looks like poo, cupcake cakes, naked babies, random Darth Vaders... there's no end to what people will put on a cake. I like reading Cake Wrecks because there's that whole "Wait...what...no!...what?" aspect where I can't believe that this actually happens to people. Some of those baby shower cakes will haunt me in my dreams. Maybe I'm just blessed (cursed?) with a local supermarket bakery section who stay away from wrecks, but I've never seen anything remotely close to this in person. But I do believe that other people have, because here is the photographic evidence. The book doesn't have the depth of the blog - that's one area where hyperlinks have the advantage over paper - but it does organize the wrecks into sections and succeeds in really building up a "bam-bam-bam" pace of revealing the wrecks. The book also has a bit of "behind the scenes" information on what Jen Yates has learned since launching the blog, including why she now doesn't spend a lot of time writing on posts that are likely to be controversial. I definitely recommend checking out the blog, and if you find that it's your sense of humour, consider diving into the Cake Wrecks book.

Cake Wrecks is published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Wreck the Halls: Cake Wrecks Gets "Festive" by Jen Yates
That is Priceless by Steve Melcher
Awkward Family Photos by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack

Grammar Girl's 101 Troublesome Words You'll Master in No Time by Mignon Fogarty

Writing can be hard. Not only do you have to take an empty page and fill it with words, you also have to be careful to avoid misspellings, grammar errors, and using the wrong word. Where can you go to find out the answers to all of your grammar questions? The Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty, has been solving people's tough questions for years, and in 101 Troublesome Words You'll Master in No Time she takes on some tough words that you might have spent some time scratching your head over in the past - but scratch no more, because help is on the way!

I find word usage really interesting; I like learning about how words have changed over time and what the origins of certain words are. It seems like a lot of the confusion over words or tenses comes from a tension between British usage and American usage; Canadian usage is often a mixture of the two, so even with this book as a guide things still seemed to be a bit up in the air. I am most familiar with Grammar Girl on Twitter and had never really checked out her site, so her style of writing was new to me. I liked it. It was conversational and forgiving and less "hard and fast" than I was expecting a grammar guide to be. Grammar purists might not like all of the "in common usage, you can probably keep doing what you're doing" advice, but I really respect her focus on clear meaning rather than the strict following of grammar rules (and besides, grammar purists are probably busy pulling their hair out over Twitter or reality TV or something like that). Including examples from TV, movies, and books also helped to ground the discussion in actual real-world usage. If you're working for an organization that has its own style guide, you should definitely stick to that, but if you're looking for some helpful clarifications for your own writing, this is one title that you will want to peruse.

Check out the Grammar Girl website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of St. Martin's Press.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Grammar Girl's 101 Troublesome Words You'll Master In No Time by Mignon Fogarty
Grammar Girl's 101 Words to Sound Smart by Mignon Fogarty
The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White
I Used to Know That by Caroline Taggert

The Last Titanic Story by Chris Angus

Laura Engalls has made what she believes to be an incredible discovery. An anthropologist working in Greenland, she's uncovered evidence linking an unknown part of Titanic history to a local tribe of Inuit people. She enlists the help of a journalist and author of a book about the Titanic, Matt Mosher. Intrigued what Laura is proposing, he agrees to join her on her quest. A terrible storm hampers their entry into Greenland and what began as a journey to find the truth quickly turns into a quest for survival. Further complicating their actions are the mysterious persons who are following them - and attempting to kill them. Just what sort of information has Laura Engalls uncovered? And is it information worth dying for?

Sometimes when I'm talking about books, I feel a bit like Stefon from Saturday Night Live. This is one of those books that would lend itself to a Stefon-esque update. It has Nazis and Titanic survivors, stolen treasure and gunfire, action, adventure and even a touch of romance. The story jumps between different time periods: one starting in 1912, one during the time of World War II, and one in the present day. I was quite curious about how all of these strands would come together, but ultimately they did fit into a single coherent story. There were several masterful cuts between chapters/time periods that were almost cinematic in feel. There were a few things that puzzled me (having unprotected sex, even if it's "I'm glad we're alive and I'm attracted to you" sex, doesn't seem like the smartest move if you're trapped in the wilderness with no idea if rescue is possible) but since I've never been in a life-or-death exploration setting, I have no idea if this behaviour is as strange as I found it. And, of course, this is relatively minor compared to the forward momentum that the action and adventure of the novel provide. If you read only one book this year that combines the Titanic, World War II, modern day neo-Nazis, and a high stakes treasure hunt across Greenland - let it be this one.

Find out more about author Chris Angus.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Iguana Books. 

Read it with:
The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel
Titanic: Shipwrecks and Sunken Treasure by John Malam
Iceberg Right Ahead! by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson
Shattered Hopes: Canada's Boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games by Sheila Hurtig Robertson

All Alone with Daddy by Joan Fassler illustrated by Dorothy Lake Gregory

Ellen's mom is going out of town. That means that Ellen is going to be all alone with her father. She's looking forward to taking care of him. She tries to be like her mother. She has a lot of fun and loves getting all of his attention. When her mom comes home, though, she's not sure how she feels about sharing Daddy again.

I came across this book in a thrift store, and I knew I wouldn't be leaving without it. It's apparently part of a series that looks at psychological issues through picture books ("Children's Series on Psychologically Relevant Themes"). It was originally published in 1969, which means that even aside from the subject matter I like looking at the illustrations of the fashions of the day. I've had it for a few years now, and I still don't even know what really to say about it. Ellen's feelings are presented as normal and no one tries to make her feel bad for having them. In fact, no one tries to do anything about them at all; she deals with them all on her own. It's hard to say whether or not her parents know anything about her feelings (although dressing herself up in her mom's clothes might have given her dad a clue, neither of them now about her dream where daughters marry their fathers and have children with them). The ending of the book is a bit too retro for me (Ellen deciding to grow up to be just like her mom and marry someone just like her Dad, complete with the image of her running towards a boy) but I do find this book to be a fascinating glimpse into so many things including child psychology, gender norms, and 1969.

 

Read it with: 

Billy and Our New Baby by Helen S. Arnstein

I Have Feelings by Terry Berger

Things I Hate by Harriet Wittels and Joan Griesman

The Man of the House by Joan Fassler 

Star Trek FAQ by Mark Clark

Much has been written about Star Trek in the more than forty years since the Starship Enterprise first appeared on television. People have looked at its science and its ethics; the stars have written about their behind the scene experiences. Novels expand on what was shown on screen and reviews place it in the context of popular culture. Star Trek FAQ bills itself as "Everything left to know about the first voyages of the Starship Enterprise," and that's what it puts forward. It has chapters dedicated to the creators, writers, actors, directors, guest stars, and anyone else who came in contact with the show. It discusses the sources that came before the show and the revivals that came afterward. If you have a question about Star Trek, this book probably has the answer.

There is a part of me that wonders if there's still a market for books like this. Couldn't you just look at a wikipedia page? Wouldn't you get the same information? And while I think you can, there is something so satisfyingly authoritative about a thick book that brings together so many different sources and topics. There was probably more that I needed about the actors previous roles, but it was helpful for filling in information about their lives before Star Trek. I don't know if the book is designed to be read straight through, like I did; some of the sections are repetitive, even down to the same phrasing. But if you're just starting where you're curious, this probably is less noticeable. What this book did quite well was get me excited about Star Trek. Talking about the episodes and the storylines made me curious to see more. I know a bit about the show, but only culturally; I know I've seen some episodes but I've never really sat down and watched one (although I was quite into Star Trek: The Next Generation) and I've only seen a few of the movies. Now, though, I feel like I have a deeper understanding of the series and want to actually experience it. Super fans (Trekkies, if you will), won't likely find too much new in here, but fans of television and pop culture (as well as library non-fiction collections) should definitely give it a look.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Hal Leonard Books.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
I Am Spock by Leonard Nimoy
To The Stars by George Takei
Beyond Uhura by Nichelle Nichols
Beam Me Up, Scotty by James Doohan
Inside Star Trek by Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman
Star Trek Memories by William Shatner

My Every Single Thought: What I Think About Being Single by Corinne Mucha

What does it mean to be single? Is it enough to say that you're not in a relationship? What does it mean when you're in a relationship? How do you meet new people? How do you deal with not wanting to meet new people? These are some of the questions that flow through Corinne's brain. Single seems like it would be clear enough: one thing. Is that it? How can that be an adequate answer? If you've ever pondered a future alone with books and cats - and you don't even like cats - then you might have already had some of these thoughts. But I guarantee you haven't experienced them like this.

I first discovered this book while browsing on the Buy Olympia website. I was hungry for some zines and bought it along with one by Ed Choy Moorman...and then it sat on the arm of my couch for a long time. Why? I don't know. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood. Maybe I was waiting for the day where I would get up from my other couch (yes, I have two couches; yes, I spend a lot of time sitting) with purpose and grab it and not want to let it go. I didn't just read this; I devoured it. I laughed, I thought, I said "ouch" when things got too close. I loved the idea of a single Barbie. I love the exploration of words that rhyme with "single" and the interview with the single sock. I loved the ending. I loved all of it. If you are single, you need to read this. Period. I love the humour, I love the art, and I love Corinne Mucha's voice.  I can't wait to get my hands on more of her work. Could this have been the best $5 (American) I've ever spent? Quite possibly...yes.

See more of Corinne Mucha's work at her website Maidenhousefly.

Read it with:
Freshman: Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations, and Other Nonsense by Corinne Mucha
Stitching Together by Ed Choy Moorman
My Alaskan Summer by Corinne Mucha

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Nick and Amy have been married for five years. It's the day of their fifth wedding, in fact, when Amy goes missing. Their house is a mess and shows signs of a struggle...and Nick can't account for his whereabouts. Over the next few hours family, police, and the media get involved and Nick and Amy's seemingly-perfect life starts to crack away. Told in two voices (Nick's increasingly unbelievable one and Amy's diary entries), this is not the story you think you know.

This is going to be a terrible post (or, at the very least, a short post), because I don't want to say anything. The less you know about this book, the better it is to discover as you're reading. I knew very little going into to and was glad because I could experience the twists as they came (and boy are there twists). Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. So go, read it, and then tell other people to read it so you can talk about it.

See more about Gillian Flynn at her website.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Crown Publishing Group/Random House.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Death by Petticoat by Mary Miley Theobald

There are some things about history that everyone knows, right? People were shorter back then. People were painted hiding their fingers and limbs because painters gave a discount if they didn't have to paint those body parts. Apprenticeships lasted seven years, pregnant women never went outside, there was a nail tax in Colonial America - these are all thoughts that are commonly passed along as fact. This book examines those history myths and separates truth from myth, misconception, and outright falsehood.

This is such a smart idea for a book. Myths and misconceptions abound in many parts of popular culture, and of course there will be those that persist about American history. I loved learning about the truth behind custom, clothing, trades, and American life in a number of different time periods. I was amazed at how many myths are shared between different time periods and different locations worldwide. There are a number of myths here that I hadn't heard before, particularly those that pertain to specific parts of American history, but it was still fascinating to hear how the ideas have come to be a part of common knowledge and what - if any - kernel of truth is found in those myths. I also love the design of the cover. Check out those cool skulls!


Check out Mary Miley Theobald's website for a list of her other publications.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Andrews McMeel.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Colonial Williamsburg: The First 75 Years by Mary Miley Theobald
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History by Richard Shenkman

Murder, She Wrote: Trouble at High Tide by Donald Bain

Jessica Fletcher, world-famous mystery novelist and occasional real-life mystery solver, is ready for a bit of vacation. She accepts the invitation of a high powered judge (someone who shares her publisher) to spend some time at his Bermuda estate. Sun, sand, and solitude - that's just what Jessica is looking forward to. But she's barely been there 24 hours before a murder is discovered: the judge's beloved niece. Even worse, Bermuda is experiencing a wave of Jack the Ripper-inspired murders. Could the same killer have attacked the judge's niece? Or is the murderer much closer at hand?

After a long week at work, I was so ready to curl up with the latest Murder, She Wrote novel. I slipped quickly into the pages and surrounded myself with Jessica Fletcher's gentle judgement and moral compass. The murder came quickly and a number of people were reasonable suspects with believable motives. I liked learning about the details of life in Bermuda (like families are only allowed to have one car), although I did pause at the mention of "Wikipedia" in the resource acknowledgements. As an added bonus Jessica's frequent investigative partner and sometime beau Chief Inspector George Sullivan of Soctland Yard makes an appearance in this book (tied into the Jack the Ripper investigation aspect). I enjoy him, and a part of me hopes that in an upcoming book he and Jessica will finally take a step forward with their circling romance.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Murder, She Wrote: The Fine Art of Murder by Donald Bain
Murder, She Wrote: Majoring in Murder by Donald Bain
Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire by Donald Bain

The Research Virtuoso: How to Find Anything You Need to Know by the Toronto Public Library with art by Victor Gad

Research: if you're in school, you're going to have to do it at some point. There will be a class that requires an essay or a project and you will have to know how to find information, assess it, and bring it together in a meaningful way. It can seem like a daunting task, and there are so many different ways that you can go about it. The Research Virtuoso can help you clarify your assignment, collect your thoughts, and follow through with a solid end result. This is one book that could help you get an A - and help you build some skills you can use throughout your life.

This is an updated edition of an earlier publication, which is a very smart move considering all of the ways that today's technology plays a role in information gathering. Online resources are covered (including Wikipedia and the standard cautions around using it as a definitive source) but they are found alongside print resources and subscription databases. In addition to instructions about how to research a topic The Research Virtuoso also includes templates and tips to get you started. There are definitely some ideas that I wish I knew about when I was in school. The tone is authoritative (and it should be, coming from the Toronto Public Library) but not stuffy; if this book was a person, it would be your cool older cousing who's in graduate school. This might not be a book that high school or university students run to pull off of the shelves (or maybe it is), but it's definitely a book that they should look into.

I received a copy from NetGalley courtesy of Annick Press.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Research Ate My Brain by The Toronto Public Library
The New York Public Library's Guide to Research by Deborah Heiligman
Painless Research Projects by Rebecca Elliott

Gold by Chris Cleave

Zoe knows what winning Olympic gold feels like. She knows what it's like to win the biggest race of your life and to feel like you will die if you don't. Kate knows what it feels like to come just short of the chance that you've been working towards for your entire life. She knows how her life isn't just her life, but how it intersects with the lives of the people that she loves. Zoe and Kate have in each others lives since they were teenagers who met at an elite training camp for cyclists. In the years since they have been teammates, rivals, competitors, enemies, and friends. The 2012 London Olympics, held in their home country, will be their last Olympics, but it will be impossible for both of them to get to compete. This one last competition between the two women echoes their history and has the power to determine the rest of their lives.

I could not put this book down. I loved the insight that it provided into the mind of a highly competitive athlete. Zoe saw nothing as off-limits, including mind games as varied as trying to make a competitor think that her cycle is broken or playing a 'long con' of pretending to steal her boyfriend. While Zoe and Kate are at the centre of the novel, the story in many ways is just as much about the other people in their world. Completing their sphere are Tom (their coach), Jack (Kate's husband and a champion cyclist who has known both Zoe and Kate since that first training camp), and Sophie (Jack and Kate's leukemia-stricken daughter). All five of these people are struggling with things that they hide and avoid until they can't be hidden anymore. The story is told with interspersed flashbacks; remarks and details from the beginning of the story take on a completely different meaning by the end of the book. It's compelling and timely and a great book for readers in this Olympic year.


Learn more about Chris Cleave at his website.


I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House Canada.


Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou
Inside the Olympics by Nick Hunter

Women Will Save the World by Caroline A. Shearer edited by Sarah Hackley

Inspired by a quote from the Dalai Lama that "The world will be saved by the Western woman," Caroline A. Shearer had a vision to bring together accounts of feminine traits such as collaboration, nurturing, creativity, strength, and intuition. Women Will Save the World is filled with biographies of historical women who made a difference as well as essays written by women of today who have faced many different obstacles - medical, financial, spiritual - and survived.

Many of the women profiled were new to me, and I always appreciate the opportunity to read about successful women and learn how they have accomplished what they have. I also enjoyed the short biographies of the more well-known historical figures. This approach helped to ground the essays in a feminist and historical context. At times I did feel that the focus of the book was narrowing; without taking anything away from the contributors who are profiled in this book, I would love to hear more from other women from many different backgrounds.  I sometimes lost the thread of how this was going to "save the world" while at other times thinking that it veered into self-help territory. I think, though, that ultimately those two go hand-in-hand. How can women 'help' themselves? By using the traits and behaviours of positive female role models. Women Will Save the World isn't trying to be everything to everyone; its focus is on sharing stories of strong, successful Western (in this case, American) women. Read this in connection with some other explorations about female power and see all of the ways that women have been and will continue to contribute to the world.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Absolute Love Publishing.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
No Excuses by Gloria Feldt
Women of Color and Feminism by Maythee Rojas
Feminism and Pop Culture by Andi Zeisler
Dead End Date by Caroline A. Shearer

The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey

Kate Crane's life is slipping out of focus. She threw her neck out while dancing Swan Lake and needs increasing amounts of medication just to get through the day. She's a soloist with a New York ballet company but for the last few years has danced in the shadows of her sister Gwen. That was before Gwen had a meltdown and quietly went back to their family home in Michigan. Now Kate must deal with the pieces of her life - and Gwen's life - while considering what she wants to do next.

(Spoilers below)

I really enjoyed this book. I've read a few teen books set in the ballet world, but it was a nice change to see a book about a slightly older dancer at a different place in her life. That doesn't mean, though, that Kate has her life all figure out. The physical toll of her work is draining her body and her relationships (or lack of relationships) is draining her emotionally. The shadow that Gwen casts is so huge that it took me a while to realize that she wasn't even really in the novel as a character in person. The book is filled with great details of the ballet world, but it felt like the book was written by a writer who once danced rather than a dancer who writes. The characters are skillfully created and the story builds nicely. This is a great choice for both adults as well as teens who might be looking to read adult books.

Learn more about Meg Howrey at her website.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Vintage Books/Knopf Doubleday.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Bunheads by Sophie Flack
Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe
Blind Slight by Meg Howrey

Red Nails, Black Skates by Erica Rand

Erica Rand wasn't expecting a pair of skates to have such an effect on her life. A college professor in her forties isn't usually the person who gets swept up into the world of figure skating...or is she? This access to the world of adult figure skating provides an up-close look at the strong gender assumptions that govern skating along with the way that money, race, and sex play out on the ice. Red Nails, Black Skates: Gender, Cash and Pleasure On and Off the Ice, through short essays, looks at how these factors combine in figure skating - adult and otherwise.

I am a longtime fan of figure skating, but adult skating is one area that I've never really explored. I really enjoyed Erica Rand's study of gender, politics, and the pleasure of skating; she has a love for the sport and a critical eye to what is going on at and under the surface. This book and others that have come out recently (including Artistic Impressions) have helped me to place into a context my own thoughts about the sport that I love. I started watching skating in the 90s during the period of hypermasculinity evidenced by Elvis Stojko and Michael Weiss; I watched Johnny Weir's gender be questioned at the 2010 Winter Olympics.  I was in the audience at the Grand Prix final last year where Carolina Kostner came out in a one-piece jumpsuit and saw how immediately people started talking about a skater without a skirt (often in the same sentence as pointing out that it gave her 'cameltoe'). Figure skating is an area where sport, gender, sex, politics, money, and race come together in a fascinating way. Erica Rand's writing combines the personal details of her life and experiences as a skater with research into different aspects of sport and gender theory. Related areas, including roller derby and hockey, are explored as well. The book is accessible to skating enthusiasts and well worth reading. If you're looking for ways to pass the time before the 2012-13 skating season starts, definitely consider picking up this book.

See also her website for more information about her other books.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Duke University Press.

Also check out a great review of the book at The Book Cricket.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Barbie's Queer Accessories by Erica Rand
Artistic Impressions: Figure Skating, Masculinity, and the Limits of Sport by Mary Louise Adams
Culture on Ice: Figure Skating and Cultural Meaning by Ellyn Kestnbaum
Down and Derby by Alex Cohen and Jennifer Barbee