A Charmed Life: Growing up in Macbeth's Castle by Liza Campbell

Campbell, Liz. A Charmed Life: Growing up in Macbeth's Castle. Thomas Dunne Books, 2007.

When Liza Campbell receives the news of her father's death, she uses the time to reflect upon his powerful and often negative influence on her life. The last child to be born at Cawdor Castle, of Macbeth fame, Campbell is presently a journalist and artist. Her father Hugh, the twenty-fifth Thane of Cawdor, was an enigmatic man whose own low self-image and feelings of inadequacy caused him to spiral into alcoholism, drug abuse and adulterous affairs. Through it all he remained the driving force in his three children's' lives shaping and influencing them in various ways. This memoir acts as Campbell's way of exorcising some of those demons.

I enjoyed this book so much, we read it for my book club. Campbell is a remarkably deft writer who gives insights into what appears like a fairy tale from the outside, but what at times was a nightmare. Of course, life is never this simple, so she explores the complexities of her dysfunctional family and the pressures that formed them. A very personal and condensed version of Scottish history adds another rich layer.

Recommendations:
The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini

Readers who want to explore the damaging effects of a traumatic childhood might like this selection which is the story of a young woman struck deaf and mute by a childhood incident.

Macbeth The Graphic Novel: Original Text by Wiiliam Shakepeare

If Cawdor Castle has piqued your interest in the classic tale, experience it in a whole new way while remaining faithful to the mother tongue.

Haunted Castles of the World: Ghostly Legends and Phenomena from Keeps and Fortresses Around the Globe by Charles A. Coulombe

Readers interested in other historic castles will enjoy this excellent volume with a haunted twist.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

Walls shares many of the same family characteristics as Campbell: an alcoholic father, eccentric mother and unsteady childhood. Fans of memoirs will find Walls a compelling storyteller.

Dark Sister by Graham Joyce

Joyce, Graham. Dark Sister. TOR, 1999.

After a visit to some affluent friends' house, Maggie convinces her archaeologist husband Alex that their house could use some renovating. As they tear into a disused fireplace, they discover a dead blackbird and a journal with some herbal jottings. Maggie, feeling trapped in her dull marriage and frustrated by her unresponsive children, turns her energies to interpreting the ancient diary. To this end she enlists the help of her friends Ash and Old Liz. Together they try to unravel the mysteries of the book, but unwittingly unleash a malevolent power that threatens both Maggie and her family.

This was a well-written story. Riding the cusp between fantasy and horror this novel is not gory, but totally creepy. I would read other horror titles of this type.

Recommendations:

The Creaking Door: And Other Tales of Madness and Horror by Andrea D'Allasandra

If you like stories that will keep you awake in terror and shock you with twisted endings, you will love this collection of thirteen horror tales.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson AND

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Readers interested in a good scary haunting would do well to pick up either of these classic ghost stories. Shivers and uneasiness guaranteed.

Magical Herbalism: The Secret Craft of the Wise by Scott Cunningham

Those not having a friend like Ash, but interested in the folklore and magic associated with herbs can consult this encyclopedic volume.

What Your Contractor Can't Tell You: The Essential Guide to Building and Renovating by Amy Johnston

Your contractor won't be able to tell you if your house is haunted, but before you embark on any repairs (and possible unwanted discoveries), check out this book.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Penguin Classics, 2003.

Victor Frankenstein is a Swiss medical student who discovers the secret of life. He uses his knowledge to build a creature from corpses. The resulting creature is so horrific, he abandons him in terror. The creature then suffers a miserable existence of cruelty and neglect. Learning of his providence, he exacts revenge on Victor's brother, frames the maid and then confesses to Victor. He then demands a mate so that he will no longer be alone. Terrified, the doctor agrees. When Victor later has second thoughts and destroys the bride, the heart-broken and enraged creature murder's Victor's family.

More than horrifying, I found this tale to be hauntingly beautiful and touching. In some ways it resonates with modern issues such as cloning and other ethical issues surrounding biomedical research. Mythological and biblical references abound. Anyone interested in history, literature, psychology or ethics would enjoy this classic.

Recommendations:
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Readers interested in brushing up on that other classic monster will want to read Stoker's original.

The Jigsaw Man by Gord Rollo
A homeless man on the verge of suicide takes a $2 million offer for his arm! Being a horror novel, the terror does not end there. . .

Mary Shelley: Her Life, Her Fiction, Her Monsters by Anne K. Mellor

Readers interested in the life of Mary Shelley may wish to read a biography of this intriguing woman.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
Feeling bad about all those books you should have read or read and can't remember? Revisit the classics or approach new favorites with a fresh perspective.

Sharing RA Tools

This list started out on the excellent Reader's Advisory listserv FictionL. I have added to and annotated it. These social networking/reader-sharing sites may prove helpful when directing patrons to books or for trying to decide "what to read next."

BiblioTravel: A free online resource for identifying stories that are set in distinct locales started by two librarians.

Book Blogs: “Our members read books, blog books, write books, and publicize books.”

Book Crossing: Where books take on a life of their own. BookCrossing is earth-friendly, and gives you a way to share your books, clear your shelves, and conserve precious resources at the same time. A book registered on BookCrossing is ready for adventure.

Book Glutton: Our intent: build an experience that is simultaneously a book group, a computer, and a book. Chat chapter by chapter, comment on each paragraph.

Book Jetty: BookJetty is a social utility that connects you with your friends' bookshelves and checks books' availability in the libraries.

Book Movement: “BookMovement.com was founded in 2001 to give book clubs a way to recommend books to each other on a national level.”

Books I Read: A Facebook application. (Must register to use.)

Books Well Read: The goal of BooksWellRead is to be the online destination of choice for people who want to 'digest' what they read by capturing their thoughts in writing. BooksWellRead has been designed to be simple, fast, and easy to use.

Crime Space: A place for readers and writers of crime fiction to meet.

eBooklists: RA wiki being constructed by librarians who were in graduate school together.

Goodreads: Keeps track of what you’ve read and what your friends are reading. Also on Facebook.

I Read Wiki: A collaborative website by Iowa librarians of reading suggestions.

Library Thing: Helps you create a library-quality catalog of your books and connects you with people who read the same things.

Reader2Reader: A UK network that allows readers to discover and suggest books to each other, chat and share reader experiences or do author/title searchers.

Read Me: User editable wiki of book suggestions and queries.

Revish: Revish is a place where people share their reading experiences. You can use Revish to keep and share a list of books you're reading, write reviews of books, find recommendations from other readers, and a whole lot more.

Shelfari: Allows you to share what is on your bookshelf with others and discover new books. Also on Facebook.

What Should I Read Next?: Searchable database of real readers’ favorite books (over 47,000 and growing) to suggest what you could read next.

What's On My Bookshelf: This is a book trading communitywhich allows members to exchange their books using a simple point system.

Which Book: This is a book recommendation tool that makes suggestions based on your moods.

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

Willis, Connie. Doomsday Book. Bantam, 1992.

In the mid-21st century, historians at the University of Oxford conduct field research through time travel and direct observation of historical events. Safeguards are put into practice to prevent the altering of history including slippages which shift the time of arrival for the researcher to a time as close as possible as the original target date, but deemed safer.

Kivrin Engle is a medieval specialist who talks her superiors into allowing her to travel to 14th century England. Previously thought to be too dangerous, they reluctantly relent. It is here things begin to fall apart. The technician who sends her to the past, collapses after he sends her, a victim of an influenza epidemic which sweeps Oxford. Meanwhile Kivrin also succumbs to the flu she has carried with her. When she awakes, she is far away from her initial entry point which is key to her return. In addition, due to the flu affecting her technician's calibrations, Kivrin is unknowingly twenty years off her target date and has landed in the midst of a Black Death outbreak in 1348.

Kivrin is a curious anomaly to her hosts and must dodge a variety of situations arising from her appearance and education. In addition, she becomes involved with people of her village, nursing them through sickness and death. On the other end in Oxford, as they recover from he flu epidemic, university staff are attempting a rescue of Kivrin.

This is an award-winning novel rich in detail and meticulous in research. While the science is a little weak, the medieval aspects are especially satisfying and enjoyable. Readers who enjoy science fiction or historical fiction would appreciate the gripping plight of Kivrin.

Recommendations:

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks

Knowing that it is a virtual death sentence, the village of Eyam, England decides to quarantine themselves to keep the plague from spreading to others in 1666.

Timeline by Michael Crichton
Very similar to Doomsday Book, except in this time traveler's tale, the heroes are historians who end up in medieval France.

The Black Death: Natural & Human Disaster in the Medieval Europe by Robert S. Gottfried

A historian examines how the plague reshaped the face of Europe and impacted every facet of society.

Guns, Germs & Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

For an even broader look at the over-arching forces that have shaped civilization and history, check out this acclaimed biologist's work. You'll never view the world the same way again.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Niffenegger, Audrey. The Time Traveler's Wife. MacAdam/Cage, 2002.

Henry a librarian and Clare an artist live in Chicago like a normal married couple, but Henry harbors a terrible secret. He suffers from Chrono-Displacement disorder which causes him to time travel at random moments. With absolutely no control over his condition, Henry is dropped naked anywhere within his past or those of his loved ones. This inventive novel has Henry meeting his wife when she is six and himself when he needs his own assistance. Sound confusing? The narration also switches viewpoints between Clare and Henry. My head sometimes hurt trying to wrap my brain around the ramifications of the words on the page!

Beyond a bizarre story, however, this is a tale of the anchoring love of Clare for Henry and her willingness to care for him despite the incredible upheaval in their lives. It is about the bravery of Henry facing the travails of his incurable disorder and attempting to lead a "normal" life. In some ways the book has all the of a typical romance novel. A couple meets, falls in love, marries, has a family. Of course, here the plot line is twisted and tied in knots and unraveling it is half the fun.

Recommendations:

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

In this, the ultimate time traveler series, Claire Randall moves between a husband in 1945 and a lover in 1743 Scotland.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

Fans of the time travel motif will enjoy this classic of the genre.

Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel by Michio Kaku

Looking to do a little time travel? See what scientists have to say about the possibilities.

Masterpieces of Chicago Architecture by John Zukowsky and Martha Thorne

Readers who enjoyed the Chicago setting or who want to see what the Newbery Library looks like will enjoy this pictorial work.

A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson

Drayson, Nicholas. A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

Mr. Malik is in love with widow Rose Mbikwa and plans to ask her to the Nairobi Hunt Club Ball. His plans are stymied when his school days nemesis Harry Khan returns to town and announces his plans to woo Rose. Harry and Mr. Malik stage a friendly bird-watching competition to determine who gets to ask Rose to the ball. While the plot sounds simple enough, the engaging characters, charming dialog and glimpses into Kenyan wildlife and politics weave a rich African tapestry.

I chose this title for my book club to read and we really enjoyed it. Comparisons to Alexander McCall Smith are inevitable, but I like both Drayson and Smith equally well. Drayson's portrayals of Africa are a little more realistic than Smith's touching on crime, AIDS and poverty more overtly. Drayson uses the unique device of an anonymous narrator who offers humorous asides and directly addresses the reader. And while the plot is not the most complex, there is a revealing of character and layered nuance that hallmarks the literary fiction genre.

Recommendations:

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith is the first in a series that introduces the iconic, "traditionally-built" Mma Ramotswe. Smith offers an evocative African setting with charming and elegant prose.

A Rant of Ravens by Christine Goff (#1, Birdwatcher's Mystery series)

Readers enjoying the birding aspect of Guide will enjoy this series which features amateur sleuth and birdwatcher Lark Drummond.

Birds of East Africa (Collins Field Guides) by J.G. Williams

This specific guidebook is the namesake for Drayson's novel. Having an actual guide book at elbow would add to readers' enjoyment of Mr. Malik's and Khan's exploits.

Kenya - Culture Smart: A Quick Guide to Customs and Etiquette by Jane Barsby

If readers are interested in booking a birdwatching expedition, they won't want to forget to pack their Kenyan etiquette guide. They could end up in jail like Khan's two Australians!