Marquette University

www.marquette.edu/library

November 2006

Ex Libris brings readers an issue of books for vacation reading and gift giving. In the year and a half since we began, staff from throughout the libraries have identified over 60 of their favorite books. Our goal is to showcase Raynor Memorial Libraries’ Browsing Collection and to identify a broad range of contemporary fiction and nonfiction for the general reader. In addition to staff choices, we selected an e-book and some recent prizewinners. All readers in the Marquette community are invited to suggest books, or better, to write a brief review for Ex Libris. If you missed an alert, earlier issues of Ex Libris are available online.

 

Clicking on the title or cover image will take you to the book's MARQCAT record; please note locations carefully as items may be in the Browsing Collection (Raynor 1st level) or in the Memorial stacks. Books that are checked out may be reserved by clicking on the blue recall/hold button at the top or bottom of the MARQCAT record.

The Madonnas of Leningrad

Debra Dean (William Morrow, 2006)

This is a story about Marina, an 82-year old Russian émigré living in Seattle with her husband. As a young woman she worked at the Hermitage Museum as a docent during the long siege of Leningrad. She and her husband have traveled to attend her granddaughter's wedding and Marina, struggling with Alzheimer's disease, can barely recognize her granddaughter and other family members. While Marina's awareness of daily events is confused and her short-term memory fading, she retains vivid memories of the German blockade during the early 1940's. She recalls the bitter cold and starvation faced by the employees struggling to survive in the basement of the Hermitage and the rescue of several thousand paintings prior to the German invasion. Marina builds a "memory palace" to survive the siege, etching in her mind details of paintings in various rooms that have been removed with only frames and the empty walls remaining. Throughout the book she retreats to this memory palace as the author skillfully interweaves historical facts, descriptions of rooms and paintings in the Hermitage, and Marina's struggles to maintain contact with her family during the wedding. This is a well-researched and beautifully-written novel about love, the struggle for survival, the horror of war, the power of memories, and the impact of Alzheimer's disease upon a family. Having had the privilege of visiting the Hermitage and seeing the ornate rooms and art treasures for myself, I can attest to the accuracy and elegance of the author's descriptions, which take the reader on a memorable "virtual" journey.

Recommended by Kristina Starkus, Head, Acquisitions Department

The March: a Novel

E. L. Doctorow (Random House, 2005)

This historical novel details what life might have been like when General William Tecumseh Sherman’s army marched from Georgia through the Carolinas during the Civil War. The novel portrays the many hardships and horrors as seen through the eyes of a number of characters, including General Sherman himself; a young freed slave who works alongside her previous owner; a German-born Union Army doctor; and a couple of entrepreneurial Confederate soldiers. Doctorow’s writing captures the bloodshed, confusion, absurdities, and grief that were commonplace during this incomparable time in our history and enables us, 142 years later, to experience what the lives of those living amidst the war must have been like.  Anyone interested in the Civil War or who enjoys historical fiction will find this novel fascinating. 

Recommended by Rose Trupiano, Research & Outreach Librarians

Three Days to Never

Tim Powers (William Morrow, 2006)

Forget The DaVinci Code! If you want to plumb the depths of "secret history," then Tim Powers is your man. The World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Anubis Gates, The Stress of Her Regard, Declare, and the Last Call trilogy takes you back to the mid-eighties in this wild fantasy thriller. Secret history (as opposed to alternate history) is the use of historical facts linked by "secret" or unknown connections and motivations. Here, Powers blends Albert Einstein and his estranged daughter, a missing Charlie Chaplin movie, Kaballah-trained Mossad agents, a mysterious deadly group known as the Vespers, astral projection, pyrokinesis, time travel, dybbuks, and a magical Baphomet head, into a potent concoction. When widower Frank Marrity and his precocious daughter Daphne learn about the death of Frank's grandmother, they are catapulted into a madcap search for a device Einstein invented, a device the quirky scientist chose to suppress. But now opposing groups will stop at nothing (including human sacrifice) and use any weapon at their disposal (including a blind psychic assassin) to locate the device. The 1987 Harmonic Convergence forms an appropriate backdrop for this winning, fast-moving fantasy that once again proves Tim Powers is the master of "steampunk," secret history, and his own form of Euro-based magic realism.

Recommended by Bill Gagliani, Stacks Supervisor

A Thread of Grace: a Novel

Mary Doria Russell (Random House, 2005)

Set in World War II Italy, Russell’s newest book is a departure from her previous science fiction writings such as The Sparrow and Children of God.  A complex tale woven between plot lines representing a variety of perspectives, including Italian Jews, Italian Catholics, occupying Germans, Jewish refugees from southern France, and Italian partisans, this well-researched novel gives life to the Italian resistance and to the less well-known story of ordinary Italians who sheltered Jews at risk to themselves. Given several characters with multiple aliases, the list of characters in the front of the book is vital! Readers will not soon forget A Thread of Grace with its well-drawn characters, tragic historical events, and exploration of the moral and ethical dilemmas created by war.

Recommended by Michelle Sweetser, Archivist.

JPod: a Novel

Douglas Coupland (Bloomsbury/Holtzbrinck, 2006)

Ever wonder what it's like to be a computer game developer? This fast-paced and amusing novel follows narrator Ethan Jarlewski, a computer game programmer, and his cubicle colleagues in the JPod (they all have last names starting with "J") as they work on an adventure game. Their lives include some bizarre friends and relatives: Ethan's girlfriend and fellow JPod-er Kaitlin, whose college English assignments provide another viewpoint on JPod doings; a mother with a pot plantation and a dead biker in the basement; and the boss, who tries to sabotage the game JPod is working on. Meanwhile the game itself mutates and is transformed! This book is not for everyone--it is disjointed, has geeky obsession lists and puzzles interspersed with stream-of-consciousness riffs, and some very questionable plot twists. An off-putting quirk is that the author appears as a minor character in the novel, but his appearance really does serve the plot in the end. The delightful aspect of this book is how it reflects pop and corporate culture and our fractured and sometimes superficial attention span. Can you imagine love letters to Ronald McDonald?

Recommended by Valerie Beech, Business Reference Librarian

The Wal-Mart Effect

Charles Fishman (Penguin Press, 2006)

Combining statistics and economic data with interviews of former Wal-Mart employees and suppliers, Fishman presents an extremely readable book that shows both the positives and negatives of Wal-Mart's vast purchasing power. Using examples of companies such as Makin Bacon, Vlasic, and Snapper, Fishman illustrates how Wal-Mart is a double-edged sword. The company creates lower prices for consumers whether or not they shop at Wal-Mart and provides huge growth potential for small businesses whose products Wal-Mart distributes. At the same time, in achieving low prices, they drive out product innovation and lower quality, push factory jobs overseas, and create and shape demand for product. Whether you currently shop at Wal-Mart or choose to take your business elsewhere, Wal-Mart's impact is undeniable, a fact this book forces the reader to consider.

Recommended by Michelle Sweetser, Archivist

The Children’s Blizzard

David Laskin (HarperCollins, 2004)

Laskin provides a well-documented and compelling account of the greatest blizzard to ever hit the Great Plains. Like so much of history, this is an important story that has faded over time and the author brings the tragedy to life by placing it in human terms--schoolchildren, teachers, parents, and farmers, all caught up in the horrific events of January 12, 1888. The title itself centers on the heart of this thoroughly well-written account-schoolchildren, who walked to school in light clothing on a mild and sunny morning that turned into a whiteout as temperatures dropped 30 degrees. More than 20% of the fatalities are estimated to have been children, yet, as with many accounts of tragedy, there are also stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to save others. Laskin draws upon a vast amount of historical research, as well as interviews with descendents of survivors, to weave together the stories of immigrant families--how they dealt with the storm, and ultimately how the storm affected them. Furthermore, he paints a picture of government bureaucracy in Washington and the ethos of the Gilded Age, in which corporations were more concerned with protecting their own interests than those of farm families across the plains. Reflecting upon this powerful and tragic event, the similarities with Hurricane Katrina are striking--ordinary folks coming together, poor families affected the greatest, personal hardship and despair, and bungled government bureaucracy. Laskin shows this was a tragedy of immense proportions for its time, and one that more than a century later still resonates across the Great Plains.

Recommended by John McKinstra, Access Services

The Audacity of Hope

Barack Obama (Crown Publishers Random House, 2006)

Obama's follow-up to his bestselling debut, Dreams from My Father, identifies the many challenges the country faces and offers his thoughts on the path to follow based on personal reflections and conversations while on the campaign trail. The book is liberally sprinkled with personal anecdotes ranging from humorous (forgetting to buy a shower curtain for his new apartment in D.C.) to heartbreaking (meeting the desperate parents of a 10 year old boy in need of a liver transplant.) The reader gets a glimpse into the life of a newly minted U.S. senator trying to learn the ropes in Washington while balancing family life with a wife and two young daughters back in Chicago. Obama offers some sound ideas on how to restore the American dream and does so without sharply attacking his political opponents. He is guided by the fundamental decency of people and the thread of hope running through America, the hope which we must have the audacity to believe in. The Audacity of Hope gives insight into this rising star of the Democratic Party, who is poised for a possible White House run in 2008, in a book that is thought-provoking and enjoyable.

Recommended by Jean Zanoni, Head of Bibliographic Control

Six Frigates: the Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy

Ian Toll (Norton, 2006)

First-time author Ian Toll presents a flowing diplomatic and military history of the early days of the U.S. republic. The funding and construction of the first six frigates, one of which is the Constitution, was one of the first major funding commitments of the fledgling central government. By assigning the work to six different port cities, the new government subsidized the expansion of the American ship-building industry. The book's major theme is the escalation of tension with England which results in the War of 1812 and the emergence of the U.S. Navy, largely via the exploits of the frigates, which confirmed the U.S. as an innovative maritime power. For parallels in history consider the following: a colorful cast of characters; the debate over the need for military forces at all; the battles over design and costs; the reluctant expeditions against the Barbary pirates; the hubris of a superior military power (the British navy); the dissent over the declaration of war with England; and confusion over the intentions of the French. Toll often refers to the delay in trans-Atlantic communication, as politicians and commanders waited months for news and orders, and were thus forced into independent action. Toll implies that it was exactly this independent thought and resourcefulness which proved successful for the emergence of the young United States.

Recommended by Jim Lowrey, Head of Library Systems

Movies That Matter; Reading Film Through the Lens of Faith

Richard Leonard (Loyola Press, 2006)

Looking for a good movie that can inspire your faith, challenge your beliefs or spark a discussion? Fr. Richard Leonard, S.J., Director of the Australian Film Office, has chosen 50 contemporary movies that can do the above. Just as Jesus taught in parables, these films provide what Fr. Leonard calls "teachable moments." Fr. Leonard describes each movie and examines the film in terms of values taught, such as honor, forgiveness, good and evil, choice, courage, and sacrificial love. Movie titles include: Romero, The Shawshank Redemption, The Insider, Gladiator, Schindler's List, The Lord of the Rings, The Truman Show, In America, Places in the Heart, and The Magdalene Sisters. Most of Leonard's choices are available for loan from the Libraries' Reserve Desk. Anyone who enjoys meaningful films will appreciate Fr. Leonard's selections and insightful comments.

Recommended by Rose Trupiano, Research & Outreach Librarian

Reclaiming the Sky; 9/11 and the untold story of the men and women who kept America flying

Tom Murphy (American Management Association, 2007)

Much has been written about the events leading up to and following the September 11, 2001 tragedy. Tom Murphy, a customer service trainer for the airlines, tells the story of his own struggle to accept what happened and to move on with his life. Soldier on; slow down, take time; make connections; seek support, forgiveness; and live fully engaged. These are the lessons he learned from talking with the airline executives, operation managers, port authority employees, and flight personnel who went beyond themselves that terrible day and the following weeks to bring order out of chaos. Lessons we can all apply to our everyday lives.

Recommended by Keven Riggle, Systems Department

E-Book Spotlight

The Stem Cell Divide: The Facts, the Fiction, and the Fear Driving the Greatest Scientific, Political, and Religious Debate of our Time

Michael Bellomo (American Management Association, 2006)

Curse or cure? The author attempts to present both sides of this hot-button issue, based on interviews with the scientists at the heart of current research initiatives. Borrow the paper edition or check out the digital book available to all members of the Marquette community through the Libraries’ membership in NetLibrary. A list of new NetLibrary books is available via MARQCAT each month; MARQCAT users may also search MARQCAT by subject for a list of all digital books in an academic subject, such as Chemistry E Books or History E Books.

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©2006 Marquette University - Last Update: November 20, 2006

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