Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park
by Rainbow Rowell

Set in mid-1980s Omaha, this YA novel about first love as experienced by two misfits won me over completely. The references to 80s music mix tapes, comic books, Omaha landmarks, and the intense emotions that accompany adolescent relationships - between family members, cruel classmates, and deep crushes - all rang true. Eleanor is a buxom redhead, dressed in thrift store outfits, bullied at home and at school. Park is half-Asian (a rarity in his Midwest community), with a loving family, but his status is just outside the circle of the popular crowd. The alternating chapters reveal Eleanor & Park's relationship in such a truthful way, that you'll find yourself falling in love with them. -- recommended by Kathryn K. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try North of Beautiful by Headley, Justina Chen, Fangirl by Rowell, Rainbow, Attachments by Rowell, Rainbow.]

[ official Rainbow Rowell web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food

L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food
by Roy Choi, Tien Nguyen and Nathasha Phan

Choi is credited with reinventing the food truck movement and creating the Korean taco. This book is both cookbook and a memoir of growing up in L.A. and absorbing all of the culinary and cultural diversity offered by the city. Some of his food, language, and experiences are not for the faint of heart, but make for a satisfying meal . . . um, read. -- recommended by Kathryn K. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Smoke & Pickles : recipes and stories from a new southern kitchen by Lee, Edward; Fresh off the Boat : A Memoir by Huang, Eddie.]

[ Roy Choi web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

New Booktalk Booklist - Characters & Curiosities

Here's another booklist from the archive of booktalks presented at various locations of the Lincoln City Libraries. In this case the speaker was Kathryn K. from the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown, who spoke at the Bethany BooksTalk group back in February 2011. [Click here to check out the current schedule of Book Talks.]

Kathryn spoke about a mix of both fiction and non-fiction titles, under the overall theme "Characters & Curiosities". Chick the link below to see her full booklist, as a convenient PDF.

Characters and Curiosities

The Buddha in the Attic

The Buddha in the Attic
by Julie Otsuka

A beautifully crafted jewel of a book, sharing glimpses into the lives of Japanese picture brides in early 20th century California. Uniquely told in first person plural style, this novel heartbreakingly displays the optimism, despair, and strength of women, from their travel to a new culture across the ocean until their forced internment during WWII. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try When the Emperor Was Divine, by Julie Otsuka and The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford.] -- recommended by Kathryn K. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable audio and downloadable E-book formats.]

[ official Julie Otsuka web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide

website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.