The Social Animal by David Brooks

Here's a great non-fiction recommendation from our library director:

David Brooks, the New York Times columnist and bestselling author of Bobos in Paradise, has long explored and explained the way we live. Now, with the intellectual curiosity and emotional wisdom that make his columns among the most read in the nation, Brooks turns to the building blocks of human mind in an illuminating work grounded in everyday life.  He offers a new look at the assumptions we make about life and a close, deep examination of the failure of social and economic policies that do not take into account the complexities of human behavior, treating us as if we were totally rational and guided by our thoughts rather than some combination of intellect and emotion.


Request The Social Animal from the Bangor Public Library

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

This is a fictional account of Ernest Hemingway’s marriage to his first wife Hadley Richardson.  Hadley met and married Hemingway in Chicago before he was famous.  She has his child and caters to his every need trying to keep him happy.   However, Ernest is very attractive to women and Hadley’s friend Pauline Pfeiffer seduces him rather blatantly and becomes his second wife.  The author has done a good job of bringing the Paris of 1920’s to life.  Her portrayal of the famous jazz age expatriate authors and artists living and loving in Paris makes one think it is the center of the creative universe.  She has done thorough research. 

Did you know Gerald and Sara Murphy, famous for being the inspiration of Fitzgerald’s novel  Tender is the Night, were responsible for the French Riveria’s popularity and also for introducing sun tanning to the populace?  Good Read.

~Maggie

Request The Paris Wife from the Bangor Public Library

The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell

I was just given this great recommendation from one of our volunteers and wanted to share it with you.  If anyone has read a good book lately, please let me know.  I love to share your favorite reads as much as ours.

~Jan 

Recommendation from Christine:

Swedish author Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander series has ended with the final book the Troubled Man.  Detective Wallander is a character who is troubled with self-doubt, worry and bouts of dark moods, but always gets results.  Mankell is an award winning mystery novelist who has been translated into 40 languages.

Request The Troubled Man from the Bangor Public Library 

A Kind of Intimacy by Jenn Ashworth

Annie Fairhurst is an obese social misfit who is addicted to self help books.  The narrator Annie is unreliable and gifted with an amazing ability to distort reality to suit her wishes.  She is calculating, delusional and most certainly insane.  However, the read is delicious and I could not put it down.  Fortunately, it was my day off.   Please someone read it and let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I did.  Amazingly another debut I cannot wait for Ashworth’s next book.

Maggie

Request A Kind of Intimacy from the Bangor Public Library

Four Wonderful Debut Novels

I am amazed at the talent that is writing.  We are a long ways from the death of the book.  The following four books are debut novels, so imagine what is yet to come.

Maggie

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Allison

This is a most enjoyable debut novel.  It is about the evacuation of children from London to a country estate at the start of World War ll so that they would not be present for the blitz.  It is also a love story involving many different kinds of love----the author does a good job of creating the atmosphere of the time period both at the Yorkshire estate and in London.  Toward the end the author wraps up the story quickly and I found the ending a bit questionable but it is still worth the time to read it.

Request The Very Thought of You from the Bangor Public Library

Up from the Blue by Susan Henderson

This book grabs your attention from page one.  It is a story about a troubled military family in the 1970’s.  The father is very focused on his career and the mother is depressed and self absorbed so the family is neglected.  The story is told by Tillie the daughter and most of it takes place while Tillie and her brother are growing up.   These were children in need of sane parenting.  The father did try but was not successful.  Neither the mother or father  should have been a parent---however, I liked the father better but am sure many of you feel  the mother was a sympathetic character.

Request Up From the Blue from the Bangor Public Library

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

This book is a page turner from the beginning.  Annie O’Sullivan has been a golden girl that things went well for-----however, her life turns horrifically wrong when she is abducted from an open house she is conducting in her capacity as a top realtor.  She is held hostage in a remote cabin by a freaky monster.  She lives through a dreadful year and finally breaks free.  In the aftermath of her ordeal and with much counseling she realizes that the old Annie is still ‘missing’.

Request Still Missing from the Bangor Public Library

Piano Teacher by Janice Lee

This novel is set in mid century Hong Kong.  The ‘piano teacher ‘ is an English woman who has moved to Hong Kong with her husband.  She gets a job with a wealthy family, becoming the piano teacher to their daughter.  She soon starts an affair with the chauffeur.  How it all ends up I cannot tell you since I read it awhile ago---I remember loving it and wanting to include it since it was a debut.  I have looked at reviews on Amazon to refresh my memory of the story and found it had mixed reviews----I loved it ----

Request Piano Teacher from the Bangor Public Library

Share your favorite non-fiction!

Have you read a non-fiction novel that you enjoyed?  It can be a recent publication, or older, it does not matter, just something you enjoyed reading for one reason or another.  Post a comment with title or author, and we will add their covers below with a link to our catalog. 

Here are some non-fiction books that I have recently enjoyed.

Perfection:  a memoir of betrayal and renewal  by Julie Metz

This is a story of a perfect marriage that wasn't however, the author only finds this out after her husband’s premature death.  Metz works through her pain and loss by tracking her dead husband’s mistresses----we all grieve differently.

Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill

This book is written by a 90 year old british editor.  She deals with tough realities in a very positive way.  She is probably a better writer than the authors she edited. I enjoyed her so much I read another book by her Stet:  an editor’s life.  Another good read.

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Patti writes about her relationship with the late artist Robert Mapplethorpe.  Her writing is very readable and she paints a compelling picture of New York City in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Slow Love:  How I lost my job, put on my pajamas & found happiness by Dominque Browning. 

Ms. Browning is an ex editor of House and Garden this book is interesting and in contrast to another book I had read written by her when she was happily married Around the House and in the Garden. 

We are happy to post suggestions anyone might have for good non-fiction reads-----

~Maggie

: :  Request each book from the Bangor Public Library by clicking on the cover  : :

Any resident of Maine can join our library for free.  Click here to see how!

   

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

This is a story of secrets and misunderstandings that affect every character in the novel.  It begins with the release of Allison Glenn to a halfway house after serving  five years in prison.  We are not told what the crime was but we do know it causes Allison to be rejected by all-even members of her own family.  Upon arrival at the halfway house Allison tries without success to get in touch with her sister Brynn to help her come to terms with her past and reestablish a sibling relationship.   

Each chapter is told from a different characters perspective.  This book is suspenseful and each time one thinks you know what is happening the author surprises you with a twist.  Heather Gudenauf is a good story teller.  I have read her debut novel, Weight of Silence and highly recommend that as well.

~Maggie