Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Guest Book Review: Breathers by S. G. Browne


Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl wage a campaign for the rights of the reanimated. Did I mention that boy and girl are zombies?

Yes, S. G. Browne’s Breathers is a romantic zombie comedy, or a “rom-zom-com” according to the back cover blurb. Deliciously (no pun intended) different from the usual flesh-eating gore fests of zombie literature, Breathers is the story of Andy Warner, a victim of a recent car crash that leaves his wife dead, his child orphaned and himself in a precarious undead status. Zombies are the latest group to be reviled and discriminated against by the majority, which in this case are the living or “Breathers”. Zombies are treated as little more than wild animals, as they are constantly tracked by both government officials and the SPCA. They cannot vote, own a home, hold a job or even use the Internet.

Growing increasingly dissatisfied with his distant parents, his Botoxed therapist and his second class citizenship, Andy begins attending Undead Anonymous meetings. It is then that Andy meets others who he can really identify with, including Rita, a beautiful zombie with a penchant for eating her cosmetics (for the formaldehyde). Along with Rita, Andy teams up with Jerry--a giggly, porn-obsessed zombie, Ray--a rugged, survivalist zombie who makes a special brand of jerky--and the rest of the undead support group in an fight to reclaim the rights they had in their lives as Breathers.

Surprisingly bittersweet and touching, Breathers is about one man’s quest to find his place in a world that doesn’t want him. The comedy is dark, the scenes are at times graphic, but the story itself is timeless.



-Lesley Daley

Reference Librarian

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Freedom Unbound

I like to have a lot of variety in my reading material. Beyond adult fiction and non-fiction, I still find enjoyable and exceptional books that may be categorized as Young Adult or Children's titles.
They can be powerful, radical, intense, humorous, heartbreaking, and much more; they often appeal to my diverse tastes as a reader.

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka is a book shelved in the Young Adult section. It follows the life of Ailin, a young girl in 1911 China who refuses to have her feet bound. After watching her sister unwrap her bound feet, Ailin at the age of 5 realizes that not only is the traditional process painful, it will also take away her freedom. She is fortunate to have a supportive father, who can see the changes happening in the world and supports her independence and education, but the rest of her family is very insistent that the custom must continue, that she will never find proper husband with her "big feet". Through the book, Ailin learns just how far her spirit and determination will take her.

Footbinding was banned right around this time, although some continued the practice. There is an interesting and affecting piece from NPR called "Painful Memories for China's Footbinding Survivors" by Louisa Lim for further reading.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Life in a Small Town


Small town America certainly has its appeal. That personalized service offered at small local stores, getting excited about town events, and knowing all the neighbors. But sometimes it may feel like everyone in town is just too involved in what you feel to be private business.

Gilbert Grape is 24 years old and has lived in the same house with his family since he was born. He plods from day to day trying to be the good son to his very overweight mother and good brother to his siblings, especially simple minded- yet loving- Arnie. But life in Endora, Iowa ("Describing this place is like dancing to no music") is not easy. Desperate to get out and make some changes to his life, Gilbert is hopelessly stuck until he meets Becky, a new girl in town, who gives him some perspective and forces him to examine his obligations, and his choices. Peter Hedges' What's Eating Gilbert Grape is honest at its core, with Gilbert as a frank and genuine narrator.

The screenplay for the movie is also by Hedges, and stars a young Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Well deserved, I might add!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Book Discussions at KCPL

In addition to our general book discussions, we also offer themed groups:

Movie Makers Book Club - Meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, 10am at Erlanger. We discuss the book, and then watch and compare a short clip from the film. The book for June is A Room With a View by E.M. Forster. For more information, contact Leigh at 859-962-4000 ext. 4108.

Foul Play: Covington Mystery Book Club - Will meet on Thursday, June 4, 7pm at Covington. The book is A Simple Plan by Scott Smith. Register for this book discussion here.

Reel Reads - The Reel Bard - Meets on the 1st Saturday of the month, Noon at Covington. Read the book and then watch a film based on the book. In June as part of the "Reel Bard" series we are discussing "Shakespeare: The World as Stage" by Bill Bryson. In addition we will be watching "Taming of the Shrew", The BBC's Shakespeare Retold version. Register here, or call 859.962.4073.

Kentucky Book Club - Beginning in June, please join us on the 2nd Monday of the month, 2pm at Erlanger to discuss a Kentucky -themed selection. The book for June is The Bluegrass Conspiracy by Sally Denton. For more information contact Lesley at 859-962-4000, ext. 4114.

Books for these and other groups can be picked up at the Reference Desk of the branch where the discussion is being held. Come and join us - all are welcome!


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

A Fishy Tale


"People mess things up, forget and remember all the wrong things. What's left is fiction."
~Daniel Wallace

Sometimes we exaggerate. Perhaps intentionally, perhaps not. Usually it's to make a story or event sound more interesting. "When I was your age, we had to walk back and forth to school. Ten miles. In two feet of snow. Without boots. And it was uphill both ways!" (OK, I grew up in Buffalo, NY, so in my case at least the snow was real).

Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace tells the story of William Bloom, a man who is trying to deal with his feelings about Edward, his dying father. Tales of his father from when William was a child seem more legend than truth. But all Edward Wallace wanted was a life out of the ordinary. The stories he told William were not lies, exactly, but more the truth as he wanted it to be. Big Fish is both heartwarming and a little sad; it's filled with magic and mystery, and shows that everyone is important, in their own way.

If you like films, check out the movie of Big Fish, starring Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Ewan McGregor.