Happily, I recently came across two excellent new documentaries that try to explore interesting topics and not just hit you over the head with ideology.

Last Train Home is an exploration of one of the largest human migrations ever. Every year, during the New Year’s holiday, 130 million workers in cities all over China return to their families in the country side. This is a monumental event, but the director, Lixin Fan, doesn’t examine it from the top down. Instead he records one family’s participation over several years. There is no narration to guide the viewer, but very soon you get immersed in the story of the Zhang family.

For 16 years both parents have been working in a garment factory to support their family. During all that time they have only been able to visit their children during the New Year’s holiday. The tension during these visits, not to mention the herculean labor of getting home, is intense. Add their teenage daughter Qin, who resents her parents’ absence and their emphasis on education, and you get a combustible mix.

Last Train Home offers no easy answers. Instead it allows you to take a peek into a different world and get immersed in a family’s struggle to survive.

Using a similar approach, A Film Unfinished examines a huge historical event, the Warsaw Ghetto, by focusing on the smaller details. In this case, the small detail is an unfinished propaganda film that the Nazis made in the Warsaw Ghetto just weeks before deportations to the death camps began. While the unfinished film was discovered in an East German archive after the war, another reel of outtakes came to light in the late 1990s.

Through interviews with survivors, testimony of one of the photographers and the disturbing outtake reel, A Film Unfinished does more than just document a historical incident. It illuminates the lives of those who lived through, and some who took part in, a pathetic attempt to obscure a horrible truth. This film is all the more powerful due to its refusal to offer a simple explanation of events. The viewer has to create any meaning or reasons why.

So take a chance and skip the partisan lecture the next time you watch a documentary. Your television will thank you.

Richard

At least I thought I was until I picked up Ilsa J. Blick’s Ashes.

At the beginning of this young adult novel we meet Alex who has a brain tumor and has been given 6 months to live. She’s an avid hiker and decides to go on a last hike to make peace with her impending death. She goes well prepared. I’m talking SURVIVALISM prepared. You throw me out in the woods and I wouldn’t survive more than five minutes unless you gave me a book to read.

Alex is settling down to camp when an older man and an 8-year-old girl come out of the forest. She is cautious (with good reason….anyone remember  the movie Deliverance and what a fun camping trip that was?). Alex listens to the man’s story, how he and his granddaughter Ellie have been hiking with their German Sheppard, Thor. The granddaughter has a gigantic chip on her shoulder (deservedly so since her father was killed in Afghanistan) and mouths off, sounding more like a bitter 40-year-old instead of an 8-year-old kid.

And this is where it gets interesting.

There is a humming in the air, a vibrating, pulsating noise.

Ellie’s grandfather goes into convulsions, blood bursting from his nose. Thor, the dog, also goes into convulsions. A terrifying sound flattens Alex to the ground. An EMP, electromagnetic pulse, destroys everything: electronics, digital watches, iPods, power grids. The world’s population is decimated but Alex, Ellie and Thor survive the EMP, although Thor goes a little nuts and acts like he is reenacting every scene from the movie Cujo. The survivors go in search of other people and answers as to what happened.

This is where the zombies come in. And not just any zombies but some of the best zombies I have ever come across.  Each survivor has been affected differently by the EMP: some have supernatural abilities, some are just plain lucky that they lived through it, and then there are those called The Changed. The Changed live to hunt the living. Forget about zombies lusting after brains, these zombies rip into any flesh they can find.

Along the way Alex and Ellie meet up with Tom, a soldier home on leave from serving in the Middle East. He has some demons of his own to exorcise. They form a weary group of survivors whose motto could be “If we survive the night…well, it’s just good that we survived the night.”

A lot of crazy stuff happens, things I didn’t see coming and I’m not going to ruin anything for you. Suffice it to say these zombies are fast and clever. Alex is one tough 17-year-old girl. I found myself thinking if I had to face an apocalypse I would want her on my team because if I was one of the Changed I’d live in terror of her abilities. But I might leave the 8-year-old brat behind.

This book is for anyone who is tired of the usual zombie and sparkly vampire books and wants a book with a meaty plot. But watch out for those zombies because I hear they like meat.

Jennifer

Ed King by David Guterson portrays the dark side of ambition and sexual attraction. Set in the Seattle area, the book’s main character rockets to success with the rise of the Internet as he becomes the “King of Search.”  He becomes a tycoon and a celebrity, but he knows nothing of his own origin. Namely that he was a foundling baby abandoned by a teen mother who used him to con child support payments from an older man. Years later the two meet in the dark shadow of incest, as Ed’s brilliant but impulsive life spirals out of control.

Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks, is set in a sunny resort area of Florida and portrays a shadow life that few of us know about. The main character is a young sex offender who is living (with his huge pet iguana) in a colony of homeless men underneath a causeway. A sociology professor arrives to interview the men and is drawn to the fatalistic innocence of “the Kid,” as the man calls himself. “The Professor” patiently listens and yanks the young man out of his profound solitude, and we see hidden reserves of emotion tangled up in the secrets that both men hide. Is it possible to feel empathy for someone caught in the ranks of the “most hated” in our society?

Snowdrops by Andrew Miller takes us to a tense, threatening time in Moscow during the early 2000’s. Nick, a young attorney, has been sent by a London-based corporation to grab a share of Russia’s gushing oil revenues. All around him is the flash of new wealth, thriving on decadence and corruption, while the underclass stumbles through another cruelly cold winter. Dealing with businesses that may be shells, and with people who will do anything to survive, brings out Nick’s dark side. He savors the sensual delights of his lover Masha, but she seems to be hiding secrets from him. Then her strange family members pull him into a dangerous role that he does not want to play.

Esta

While there is no known cure for workplace-induced ennui, you may find some relief in these novels that take the languor and absurdity of office culture to a whole other level.

Something Happened by Joseph Heller

Joseph Heller’s second novel is a scathing satire on business life and American culture. It’s as inventive, but not nearly as well-known, as Catch-22. Something Happened takes readers inside the head of Bob Slocum, a man who has it all: a steady job, a beautiful wife, three children, a nice house, plenty of mistresses, and plenty more discontent…until something happens. Eavesdrop on Bob as he records the goings on in his life at home and at the office.

Microserfs by Douglas Coupland

Dan Underwood, a computer programmer at Microsoft, narrates this novel that follows six computer whizzes. These “microserfs” work at least 16 hours a day as cogs in the machine until they decide to strike out on their own to form a high-tech start up in Silicon Valley. This will touch a nerve with any worker who remembers fondly (or not so fondly) slaving away during the 1990s tech boom.

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

The employees of a Chicago advertising firm struggle to cope with a business downturn and multiple rounds of layoffs. Their solution? A rumor mill, covert romances, pranks, too many coffee breaks, and a fierce competition to score the best office furniture. If you’ve ever spent time hoarding Post-It notes in a cubicle, you’re sure to recognize someone you know among this large ensemble cast of quirky office workers.

Now stop reading this and get back to work. Or better yet, leave a comment and tell me about your favorite book set in an office. And then get back to work.

Mindy

I found this to be a quick, interesting read, and stylistically very enjoyable, though I could imagine some readers might complain about some politically-incorrect stereotyping. Other readers might feel that the story, like the characters’ lives, never really arrives anywhere – but it’s this desperation caused by the lack of opportunity that Dorn wishes to stress. If there is a hint that things might be turning a corner for one couple at the end of the book, it is only through their pulling up stakes to try their luck elsewhere.

Here’s Dorn, forty years ago, on the tedium of Puget Sound winters – it seems the meterologic and economic forecasts of our own times are no less weighty or languorous:

            There are clusters of days when the dense mist verging on rain, yet not rain in the sense the man from the east will understand it, cuts the vision and shivers the body. When the temperature is in the thirties, one needs an extraordinary amount of clothing. Smoke curling from the many stovepipe chimneys parallels the ground and hangs there. It is wood smoke, so the smell is not bad, but the characteristic heaviness of everything, in which everything drips, has another effect. Days go by in which there seems to be no variation whatever.  If there is little hope to begin with, its undercutting will soon be accomplished.

By the Sound still captures the spirit of the Northwest and is suitably moody reading for what Steinbeck might describe as yet another winter of our discontent.  

_____________

Edward Dorn was best known for his politically engaged poetry. He spent several years at the influential Black Mountain College. The American West is prominent in much of his writing.

Heartwood | About Heartwood

My vision of post-punk is as a weird and challenging music with angular lines and dark subject matter. The vocalists often sing with reedy, quavering voices exploring all known vocal registers (and some that have yet to be discovered). The music can be extremely repetitious and filled with odd time signatures. Artsy and experimental sum it up pretty well.

Post-punk poster children Joy Division featured a dark, brooding sound, lyrics filled with abject hopelessness, and driving synthesizers. One of their best known songs, Love Will Tear Us Apart, is a bit atypical in its musical cheerfulness (although lyrical depression still abounds) and infectious poppiness, but it stands out as one of the anthems of post-punk. Following the death of the lead singer, Joy Division morphed into New Order, a band which bridged the gap from post-punk to synth pop.

When Devo hit the scene in the late 70’s they were a weird bunch, dressed in radiation suits and creating surreal videos at a time when MTV had yet to be birthed. Their first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, is filled with odd rhythms, occasionally frightening caterwauling, strange topics, and a reliance on synthesizers rather than the traditional instrumentation of a rock band. Over the decades the band moved towards the mainstream and today Mark Mothersbaugh, an original member of Devo, is one of the hardest working men in showbiz, writing soundtracks for movies, TV shows and children’s cartoons.


The first video I ever witnessed on MTV was Don’t You Want Me by The Human League. The band had already released some impressive albums in the UK, but it was the 1981 release of Dare that finally brought attention to this talented group in the US. While their first two releases are filled with oddities, Dare is simply a pop gem of synthesizer-based music. Some songs brood, others infectiously bring a need for quasi-legal dance moves. The Very Best of the Human League focuses on their accessible music, largely ignoring their first two albums of challenging yet rewarding songs.

Mission of Burma, a little-known Boston band, made some of the greatest music of the early 80’s. Pounding toms, complicated song structures, fury-fueled enthusiasm and generally riveting music caused MOB to outshine their contemporaries. There is a raw intensity to the band’s sound, a musical teetering-on-the-edge between amazingly excellent music and potentially vicious wipe outs. Vs. invites repeated listenings, and in three decades its magic has yet to abate.

It pains me not to gush on and on about Talking Heads Remain in Light, an album filled with booming funk riffs, R&B/soul covers and strange tales of alienation; or Pere Ubu’s Dub Housing which features perhaps the strangest vocals you’ll ever find, mixed with some beautifully sloppy instrumental playing; or Johnny Rotten’s foray into post-punk with PIL, a group as far-removed from The Sex Pistols as possible; or the incredible guitar work found in Television’s Marquee Moon. Not to mention the bass-ment singing of Nick Cave or infectious quirky grooves of The Feelies. But sadly, room does not permit to speak of every amazing group out there.

So do some research and listen to a variety of bands. You might hate some and love others, or at the very least learn something about rock history. As they say in the business world, it’s a win-win situation.

Ron

F in Exams by Richard Benson is quite simply a compilation of horribly wrong answers real students have used on tests. Absurd (the Berlin Wall was created because Germany was competing with China), misinformed (Abraham Lincoln’s greatest achievement was having his face carved out of rock), and just plain wrong (What did Mahatma Ghandi and Genghis Khan have in common? Unusual names).

I have to wonder if these students, after getting back their wrong answers, realized how off-the-wall they sounded and, if so, could they ever face their teacher/professor again? I was feeling pretty smug until I got to the end of the book and read something I’m pretty sure I wrote in Mrs. Votoupal’s Advanced Placement Literature class: How does Romeo’s character develop throughout the play? It doesn’t; it’s just self, self, self all the way through. Sorry, Mrs. V.

Dealbreaker by Dave Horwitz and Marisa Pinson examines just where we all go wrong in our dating lives. The authors call attention to all our dating sins, from talking through movies to flirting with other people. If you’re worried you won’t find any kind words in this tome, however, think again.

Each chapter of Dealbreaker contains a special section called Dealmakers. Dealmakers include such things as making delicious pancakes and having an awesome bed. This book has the dubious honor of being the least awkward in my list, simply by having a few nice things to say. I have high standards, dear reader:

So maybe that’s the moral of this whole thing: hang in there, kittens. We have all these dealbreakers because we’re picky, and we’re picky because we want to believe that the perfect person is out there, waiting to knock down our door and present themselves to us, perfect smile and all (but not before rebuilding our door). It’s this hope that keeps us going, and this secret cockiness that keeps us from settling on someone who’s okay but not a perfect match.

Awkward Family Photos by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack is based on the popular blog of the same name. Words can’t easily describe this photo-packed book. Just flipping through the pages I can guarantee you’ll laugh and maybe even relate a little to these ridiculous images. And to play fair, there are awkward photos of the authors at the end. Very similar is Awkward Family Pet Photos by the same authors, featuring people and pets and the awkward joys of animal companionship.

Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello has been mentioned before in this blog. But no one really went into detail about the complete and utter awkwardness that practically oozes from the pages. You can actually follow the directions for these projects…but then you would become a walking awkward moment. If you’re not that brave or not that comfortable in your irony, you can at least check out this book and gaze in wonder at all of the hideously awkward photos the authors have painstakingly shot for the sake of their craft.

If, unlike me, you truly cringe at awkwardness and would rather avoid it as much as possible, there are books for you as well. Why not try these titles to proactively battle awkwardness before it can creep up on you.

As a Lady Would Say by Sheryl Shade and As a Gentleman Would Say by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis provide “responses to life’s important (and sometimes awkward) situations.”

Miss Manners’ Basic Training: the Right Thing to Say by Judith Martin also covers conversations that can turn nasty and explains how you can “talk, talk back and say ‘no’ without causing offense, and how to apologize when you do anyway.”

Perfect Phrases for Dealing with Difficult Situations at Work by Susan F. Benjamin includes “hundreds of ready-to-use phrases for coming out on top even in the toughest office conditions.”

Damage Control by David Eddie and Pat Lynch shows you “how to tiptoe away from the smoking wreckage of your latest screw-up with a minimum of harm to your reputation.” It’s also packed with embarrassing personal stories from Mr. Eddie’s life and may help him seem less preachy and more relatable.

We’re human. We make mistakes. And sometimes you’ve just got to laugh.

Carol

Now it’s time to share some of your own favorites with you.

Click on the categories below to see which books published in 2011 have been most popular among Everett Public Library users. The links will run real-time searches in the library catalog, retrieving those titles that have been most frequently checked out or placed on hold over the past 120 days. These search statements and algorithms are a little fuzzy, but overall they’ll give you a good idea of which adult books have been most popular.

Books published in 2011 

All Fiction collections combined
Fiction
Historical Fiction
Mystery  /  Thriller   or   Mystery & Thriller combined
SF  /  Fantasy   or   SF & Fantasy combined
Romance
Christian & Inspirational Fiction

All Non-Fiction
Art, Painting & Photography  /  Crafts
Biography & Memoir
Christianity   /  Other Religions & Spirituality
Cooking
Gardening
Graphic Novels
Health
History
Literature  /  Essays  /  Poetry
Personal Finance
Philosophy
Psychology  /  Parapsychology
Science & Nature   /   Mathematics
Social Sciences (society, politics, economics)
True Crime
Oversize collection
Career collection

And for an idea of perennial favorites, click the links below to see what is most popular from our backlist, so to speak – the currently most popular books with publishing dates of 2006 or earlier.

Books published before 2007

All Fiction collections combined
Fiction
Historical Fiction
Mystery  /  Thriller   or   Mystery & Thriller combined
SF  / Fantasy   or   SF & Fantasy combined
Romance
Christian & Inspirational Fiction

All Non-Fiction
Art, Painting & Photography  / Crafts
Biography & Memoir
Christianity  /  Other Religions & Spirituality
Cooking
Gardening
Graphic Novels
Health
History
Literature  /  Essays  /  Poetry
Personal Finance
Philosophy
Psychology  /  Parapsychology
Science & Nature   /  Mathematics
Social Sciences (society, politics, economics)
True Crime
Everett & Snohomish County History – for all years
Oversize collection – for all years
Career collection – for all years

And finally, looking into the new year, click here to see what titles are on order (to see them in order of popularity, change the “Sort by” box to Most Popular).

Scott

Sure lots of places, including A Reading Life, have put out a Best of 2011 list that allows the selector several choices and is limited to works produced in 2011. But we wanted to try something a little bit different. Our writers were given the unenviable task of condensing their favorite works to one title. The titles listed here weren’t necessarily published in 2011, just enjoyed this year.

Read on to discover their choices. You just might add another title to your ever-growing “must read/view/see in 2012” list!

Carol:

By far the most outstanding story I experienced this year is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I say “experienced” because I listened to Wil Wheaton read it…and words can’t do his performance justice. He is by far the best person to read this story of a dystopian future where the whole world lives its life in an online virtual reality program called the OASIS. The creator of the OASIS, James Halliday, has died and left his entire fortune, including the multi-billion dollar company that owns most of the Internet, to the first person who can find the prize, known as an “Easter egg,” hidden in the OASIS.  Halliday’s hayday was in the 1980s, where he enjoyed all of the music, movies, and video games of the era. In order to get inside Halliday’s head, the egg-hunters, known as Gunters for short, spend all of their free time watching the movies he watched, listening to the music he listened to, and above all else, playing the games he played. There are so many Sci-Fi, gaming, and music references that took me back down memory lane. Whether you can identify with the protagonist Wade, who is a loner looking for a better life, or just enjoy all the cultural references, you’ll want to give this one a try. I highly recommend picking up the audio book, as Mr. Wheaton does a phenomenal job.

Esta:

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.

Dr. Marina Singh dreads being sent to Brazil’s Amazon jungle with its giant snakes, seething insects, and mysterious diseases. But the pharmaceutical company that employs her gives her no choice.  Years have passed with almost no word from their researcher, the aging Dr. Annick Swenson, who is the company’s best chance to develop a miracle drug.  Soon Marina must confront her terror and awe of the rainforest, the Lakashi tribal people, and the domineering personality of the woman doctor who knows Marina’s own fears and failings.

Kim:

A book I enjoyed this year was the downloadable audio ebook The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It was published in 2009, but what brought it to my attention this year was the books long time on bestseller lists and the release of the new movie version. Actress Octavia Spencer reads the part of Minny Jackson the character she plays in the movie. It’s the story of several African-American maids in Jackson, Mississippi who decide to tell their experiences to an aspiring author. Their experiences are primarily about working for white families during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Listening to the four actresses narrating in Southern accents added a lot of enjoyment to the book.

Kristen:

The Talk-funny Girl by Roland Merullo

This story is about seventeen year old Marjorie Richards. She is raised in the backwoods of New Hampshire by her abusive parents who are under the control of a sadistic cult leader. Beautifully written, Roland Merullo tells a coming of age story that will keep you rooting for her until the end.

Richard:

Dexter: The fifth season

The Showtime series Dexter is definitely an acquired taste. Having a serial killer for a main character can be a bit of a hard sell. But Dexter has a code, instilled by his police officer father, that he struggles to maintain. The fifth season is a particular joy, since the fourth threatened to tie Dexter down to a domestic routine. Instead he is free to struggle with his dark passenger, attempt to help a victim of violence for a change, and still try to maintain an inconspicuous facade.  The show is known for its season long guest appearances and season 5 of Dexter does not disappoint, with excellent performances by Julia Stiles, Peter Weller and Jonny Lee Miller.

Ron:

Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel by Pip Ballantine

Archivist Wellington Books, librarian and tinkerer, is thrust into the role of unwilling field operative alongside his new partner, dynamite-toting and shockingly unladylike Eliza D. Braun in this Victorian steampunk thriller.

Scott:

I just can’t say one was best! So here are my three favorite thought-provoking reads published in 2011, all featuring hi-def characters and accomplished writing: Stone Arabia by Dana Spiotta, There but for the by Ali Smith, and The Pale King by David Foster Wallace.

Theresa:

The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind by Barbara Strauch.

This overview of recent research into the workings of the adult brain is fascinating, and ultimately encouraging. Science writer Barbara Strauch explores the latest findings that demonstrate that the middle-aged brain is much more flexible and capable than was previously thought. Rather than a peak in young adulthood followed by an inevitable and steady decline, new research from neuroscientists and psychologists suggests that the brain actually reorganizes and improves in important areas in middle-age. Growth of white matter and brain connectors allow us to recognize patterns faster, make better judgments, and find unique solutions to problems; this cognitive expertise reaches the highest levels in middle age.  Researchers are also looking at what works to keep our brains functioning at peak capacity. There is no magic bullet yet, but there are some promising leads on how to keep your aging mind in top condition.

If you are feeling like a little time away from the keyboard, AFK if you like abbreviations, but still want to get great book recommendations, why not head to the Main Library in the coming days. Our ongoing series of book displays highlighting staff picks is ready for viewing. The display includes flyers of each person’s selections so you can take their recommendations with you to ponder further if you are so inclined.

Two contributors to A Reading Life are highlighted this time around which makes the display doubly interesting: Ron & Richard

If you aren’t familiar with Ron’s exuberant and hilarious posts from our blog, you should be. From punk, both steam and otherwise, to mystery, historical fiction, graphic novels and, of course, zombies, Ron can recommend many fascinating and engrossing titles. Just try to resist picking up a title like To Say Nothing of the Dog, or How We Found the Bishop’s Stump at Last. We dare you.

Let’s face it, Richard has “issues”. But these issues can result in intriguing item recommendations. Be it disquieting short story collections, the perils of space travel, Italian detectives, Japanese pop nihilism, or killing time at the airport there is something here for all of us who are ever so slightly disturbed. In a good way, one hopes.

So much to choose from, so little time. Come and ponder the display while it lasts.