World Cup Fever? Fiction and Nonfiction set in Brazil

Fiction

The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa
Six former SS men, dispatched from Brazil by the notorious former commandant of Auschwitz to kill ninety-four men, become the targets of aging, increasingly shortsighted Nazi-hunter Yakov Liebermann.

Brazil by John Updike
Tristao, an African-Brazilian street kid, and Isabel, an upper-class teen fresh from convent school, fall in love and flee from her rich father and the toughs he has sent in pursuit of them.

The Silence of the Rain by L.A. Garcia-Roza
Inspector Espinosa investigates the murder of a corporate executive found dead in his car, piecing together clues surrounding the victim's missing secretary, a life insurance policy, the victim's widow, and two additional murder victims.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
A researcher at a pharmaceutical company, Marina Singh journeys into the heart of the Amazonian delta to check on a field team that has been silent for two years--a dangerous assignment that forces Marina to confront the ghosts of her past.

Memoir from Antproof Case by Mark Helprin
An elderly American living in Brazil reminisces about his various lives as World War II ace, multimillionaire investment banker, insane asylum inmate, thief, murderer, lover, and protector of the innocent.

City of God by Paulo Lins
A powerful saga of the rise of the drug trade in the notorious slums of Rio de Janeiro spans three decades, recreating the turbulent times of the sixties that led to all-out street warfare, murder, and rampant drug trafficking by ruthless and brutal gangs, as seen through the eyes of two teenage boys.

The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles
In 1930's Brazil, a vigilante gang invades the home of two seamstresses, kidnapping one of them.

Nonfiction

The Lost City of Z: a tale of deadly obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
Interweaves the story of British explorer Percy Fawcett, who vanished during a 1925 expedition into the Amazon, with the author's own quest to uncover the mysteries surrounding Fawcett's final journey and the secrets of what lies deep in the Amazon jungle.

Brazil: the once and future country by Marshall C. Eakin
Examines the history, religion, society, culture, politics, and economy of South America's largest country from colonial times to the present day

Soccer in Fiction

Can't enough of soccer from watching the World Cup? Here are some titles you can find in the adult Fiction and Mystery collections!

Red or Dead by David Peace
Presents a story based on the life of acclaimed British football manager and coach Bill Shankly that celebrates his enduring influence within the Liverpool Football Club.

Carpool Diem by Nancy Star

A tale of a professional mom who loses her job and finds herself caught up in the kiddie soccer craze.

Corner Shop by Roopa Farooki
Young Lucky Khalil dreams of becoming a World Cup star and pursues a girl who works in his grandfather's corner shop, while his mother rekindles her relationship with her father-in-law, whom she loved years before marrying his son.

Dream Breakers by Elizabeth Gill
Jenna Duncan's only ambition is to marry the boy she loves and have a little house away from her dull job and her parents' boring life, but Ruari's desire to be a professional footballer threaten to drive them apart.

A Vine in the Blood by Leighton Gage

Tackling his highest profile case yet when the mother of Brazil's leading soccer athlete is kidnapped, Chief Inspector Mario Silva investigates a wealth of suspects including Argentinean rivals, the star's gold-digging girlfriend and a vengeful former player.

Reapers: a Botswana Mystery by Frederick Ramsay

After World Cup fever grasps South America, a game ranger finds a corpse in Chobe National Park, and she and Kgabo Modise soon realize that their findings in the case could lead to an international incident.

 

Paws to Read: Summer Reading Fun

This is year at the library our summer reading theme is Paws to Read. The program runs from Saturday June 7 to Sunday July 27th. Here are some fun fiction titles that celebrate our feline and canine friends.

To Catch a Cat by Marian Babson

While stealing a prized cat from its owners as part of a gang initiation, Robin, a teenager struggling to fit in with the local kids, witnesses a murder in the owners' bedroom and must avoid a killer who will do anything to keep from being caught.

Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook

Anticipating her first date in more than a decade, divorced preschool teacher Sarah Hurlihy wonders about the man whose personal ad she responded to and is stunned when he is the last person she expected.

Catnap: a Midnight Louie mystery by Carole Nelson Douglas

Freelance public relations expert Temple Barr teams up with Midnight Louie, the sleuthing tomcat, to investigate the murder of a publisher at the Las Vegas American Booksellers Association convention and the kidnapping of Baker & Taylor's feline corporate mascots from their ABA booth.

Miss Bubbles Steals the Show by Melanie Murray

When her brilliant long-haired Persian cat, Miss Bubbles, breaks into show business before she does, out-of-work actress Stella Monroe, becoming a stage mom to her precocious feline, sets out to find her own leading role and leading man.

Dog On It: a Chet and Bernie mystery by Spencer Quinn

Chet and Bernie investigate the disappearance of Madison, a teenage girl who may or may not have been kidnapped, but who has definitely gotten mixed up with some very unsavory characters

  

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television and by listening closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through.

Come to the Reader Services desk and join the adult and teen summer reading programs. Just bring your Glenview Public Library card with you. For more details about the summer reading program click here. Remember Read Books, Win Prizes! It is not just for kids!

Broadway in Chicago - Summer 2014

Bank of America Theatre, Chicago
The Last Ship - Sting - June 10-July 13

Drury Lane, Oakbrook
Les Miserables - Claude-Michel Schonberg - March 29-June 8
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - William Finn - June 19-August 17

Glenview Theatre Guild, Glenview
Into the Woods - Stephen Sondheim - June 27-July 6

Goodman Theatre, Chicago
Brigadoon - Lerner & Loewe - June 27-August 3

Light Opera Works, Evanston
Damn Yankees - Jerry Ross - June 7-15
Fiddler on the Roof - Jerry Bock - August 9-24

Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire
Godspell - Stephen Schwartz - June 4-August 10

Oriental Theatre, Chicago
Motown: The Musical -  Berry Gordy - Now through August 9

Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago
Carrie: The Musical - Michael Gore - May 29-July 12

Gardening

I know it might be a little late, but the weather hasn't been that cooperative to work outdoors, and after the winter that we just had, my yard needs a lot of help. But where to start?  So I turned to several magazines to get ideas on what to do, what to plant, how to solve problems.

I particularly like Chicagoland Gardening because it is geared specifically for our area, so plants they suggest will be appropriate for us. I found several useful articles in the May/June issue: of these is what to do in the garden now, such as deep watering your flower gardens once a week, mowing your lawn regularly at no less than about 2 inches in height and applying weed control.  Also of interest is their Calendar of Garden Walks.

In the June issue of Garden Gate, there are suggestions on what kind of plants to buy for big spaces, such as ground covers and raised beds; for smaller spaces such as window boxes, hanging baskets, and containers. They also list their 11 top perennials. I was especially interested in a perennial called geum or avens because of its colorful flowers, and which I might add to my garden.

 Fine Gardening is another great magazine. The August issue offers suggestions on what kind of edible plants to grow and how to deal with pests. There is also an in-depth article on phlox.

So wish me good-luck!

Father's Day Fiction

Take time away from the BBQ for these cool Father/Son reads!

And Sons: A Novel
by David Gilbert



Acutely aware that his time is short after the death of his lifelong friend, Charles Topping, Andrew Dyer, a revered, famously reclusive New York writer, is anxious for his youngest son, 17-year-old Andy, whose birth destroyed Andrew’s marriage, to connect with his two half brothers. 


The Art of Fielding
by Chad Harbach



Succeeding on many levels, this highly enjoyable and intelligent novel offers several coming-of-age tales set against the background of an exciting and convincing baseball drama. Harbach paints a humorous and resonant portrait of a small college community while effectively portraying the Wisconsin landscape and a lake that provides an almost mystical source of solace and renewal. 

Life of Pi
by Yan Martel



Possessing encyclopedia-like intelligence, unusual zookeeper's son Pi Patel sets sail for America, but when the ship sinks, he escapes on a life boat and is lost at sea with a dwindling number of animals until only he and a hungry Bengal tiger remain.

The Road
by Cormac McCarthy


A man and a boy, father and son, each the others world entire, walk a road in the ashes of the late world. In this stunning departure from his previous work, McCarthy (No Country for Old Men, 2005) envisions a postapocalyptic scenario.

True Grit
by Charles Portis



With her papa's pistol tied to her saddlehorn and a supersized ration of audacity, fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross sets out to avenge her father's murder.

Responsible Men
by Edward Schwartzchild




Max Wolinsky, a swindling salesman, finds himself forced to face this question when he revisits his Philadelphia stomping grounds. After a year of exile in Florida, following his wife’s infidelity, Max returns to see his father and stroke-impaired uncle and to attend his son Nathan’s bar mitzvah, but the trip goes sour when old associates want in on his latest scam.

Sizzling Hot YA Books for Summer Reading

School is out, there are no papers to write, and you finally have down time. There’s nothing better than curling up in a hammock, on a towel at the beach, or in your own air conditioned bedroom, with a really good book. You won’t be bored with these sizzling hot stories!

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Chronicles the journeys, notions, and acquaintances of reluctant galactic travelers, Arthur Dent.

True Notebooks by Mark Salzman. Bestselling author, Mark Salzman paid a reluctant visit to a writing class at L.A.’s Central Juvenile Hall, a lockup for violent teenage offenders, many of them charged with murder. What he found so moved and astonished him that he began to teach there regularly. In voices of indelible emotional presence, the boys write about what led them to crime and about the lives that stretch ahead of them behind bars. We see them coming to terms with their crime-ridden pasts and searching for a reason to believe in their future selves.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman. William Goldman's modern fantasy classic is a simple, exceptional story about quests--for riches, revenge, power, and, of course, true love--that's thrilling and timeless.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. The story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?

-KF

Thirty-first Annual Chicago Blues Festival

If your plans for this weekend are not yet finalized, you might want to consider going to the Chicago Blues Festival in Grant Park. Drop in on Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday to enjoy the music of everyone from the Carolina Chocolate Drops to Aaron Neville and Dr. John. The schedule and locations for the performers can be found at the following website:

http://www.choosechicago.com/things-to-do/chicago-events/chicago-blues-festival

If you want to read books about blues artists, try one of these:

Fiction with a Blues Theme

Walter Mosley – RL's Dream (1995)

Ace Atkins – Leavin' Trunk Blues (2000)

Robert Hellenga – Blues Lessons: A Novel (2002)

Andre Dubus III – Bluesman (2006)

Deborah Grabien – Graceland (2011)

Non-fiction With a Blues Theme

Daniel Beaumont – Preachin’ the Blues: the Life and Times of Son House (2011)

Timothy O’Brien – Mojo Hand: The Life and Music of Lightnin’Hopkins (2012)

Buddy Guy – When I Left Home: My Story (2012)

John Milward  - Crossroads:How the Blues Shaped Rock ‘n’ Roll (and Rock Saved the Blues) (2013)

Don't forget to check at the Audio-Visual desk for related DVDs and CDs.

Summer Film Series

Speaking of movie night (or afternoon) please consider joining us this Sunday, June 8th at 1:30 PM in the Community Room to kick off our summer Glenviewings film series with the critically acclaimed (not to mention Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated) film Inside Llewyn Davis, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. An informal, audience lead discussion follows the screening. We have a busy slate of films lined up this summer that includes another handful of Sunday matinees designed to help you beat the heat during these warmer months. Dates and times below -- we'll see you at the movies this summer!

Dallas Buyer's Club - Friday, June 20 @ 2:00 & 6:30PM
Philomena - Sunday, July 13 @ 1:30PM
Twelve Years a Slave - Friday, July 18 @ 2:00 & 6:30PM
20 Feet From Stardom - Friday, July 25 @ 2:00 & 6:30PM
Her - Sunday, August 3 @ 1:30PM
Saving Mr. Banks - Friday, August 15 @ 2:00 & 6:30PM

Family Movie Night

My family loves the idea of family movie night, however finding a movie that all of us can agree on can be nearly impossible.  Here is a short list of movies that have a wide appeal and should make the whole family happy. Some are PG or PG-13. So make some popcorn, sit back and enjoy.

Life of Pi

We Bought a Zoo

42 The Jackie Robinson Story

The Blind Side

The Way Way Back

Flipped

The Monuments Men

The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry