Tulsa Book Review May 2014

Tulsa

event guide

INSIDE!

Book Review 2 6

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7

F R E E

NEW AND OF INTEREST

C H E C K

Buffi’s Dress Design

A first course in dress design Page 4

The Girl From the Tar Paper School

I T

Uncivil wrongs Page 8

& Sons

The literary equivalent of eating at a five-star restaurant Page 10

O U T

And the Dark Sacred Night

Not to be missed! Page 12

Three Weeks With Lady X

May 2014

Homemade Condiments

Don’t forget the sauce! Page 14

By Eloisa James Avon, $7.99, 388 Pages Meet Eloisa James on May 4 at Hardesty Regional Library. See Page 5 for details.

Three Weeks With Lady X is book seven in the Desperate Duchess series by Eloisa James. The appeal of her historical romance series is that it is not necessary to have to read the others in the series to pick up this title. The story begins with the rich and powerful Thorn Dautry (the son of the well-loved character Duke of Villiers) who

decides he needs a wife and a family. His future wife cannot be just anyone; she must be a refined and civilized lady who can help ensure his future children will have every advantage possible. Thorn enlists the help of Lady Xenobia India St. Claire who vows to make him marriageable material in three See Three Weeks, cont’d on page 2

55 Reviews INSIDE!

Book Reviews Category

Mystery SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

After Dead: What Came Next in the World of Sookie Stackhouse By Charlaine Harris, Lisa Desimini (illustrator) Ace, $18.00, 208 pages Check this out! As a longtime fan of the world of Sookie Stackhouse, I was shocked when I heard that Dead Ever After would be the final installment of the delightful Southern Vampire Series. I never expected – or wanted – it to end. While I greatly enjoyed that last novel, it wasn’t enough. I’d spent so much time with these characters; I wanted to know what happened to them, how their lives turned out. Luckily, I was not alone in this desire, and Charlaine Harris heard her fans’ cries. After Dead offers an alphabetical list of characters and a brief summary of their lives. It is straightforward, simple, and brilliant. I wish that every series could end with a book like this. It offers closure and a sense of satisfaction. True to the series, not everyone gets a happy ending, but everyone gets an ending that feels right, even those whose stories are left vague. The book also hints at a possible spin-off, suggesting of a certain person, “We may hear more about the rest of his life.” Accompanying the brief stories are delightful illustrations in the style of the books’ covers. This whole book is an absolute delight. It exists solely to please the fans, and it is extremely successful. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon: No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (14) By Alexander McCall Smith Pantheon, $24.95, 256 pages Check this out! This is the 14th novel in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. Mma Precious Ramotswe finds a large vacancy in her daily life when her associate detective, Mma Grace Makutsi, takes maternity leave. The entire

rhythm and flow of the office is disrupted by the absence: in particular, the intricacies of the Agency’s tea breaks. Should Mma Ramotswe hire and train a temporary clerical worker? But who could substitute for someone so sensitive to routine, so integral to the Agency’s operation? Meanwhile, there are mysteries to solve. Is the young heir to a prosperous farm really the person he claims to be? Why does no one patronize the brand-new, beautifully appointed, well-stocked beauty salon when the proprietor does such good work? How best to help the new mother to escape the clutches of a mean-spirited relative with outdated methods of parenting? As always, Smith has imbued the people and places of Botswana with beauty and dignity. He mingles the fast-lane, materialistic life-styles of the young with the diffident and stately habits of the elders, to the benefit of each group. The ownership and appreciation of cows continues to be a fundamental value and a signal to the world of the steady comfort of a household. For those of us delighted by the world as portrayed by Smith, this novel is a bittersweet, satisfying installment. Reviewed by Elizabeth Benford The Cold Nowhere By Brian Freeman Quercus, $24.95, 400 pages Check this out!

The Cold Nowhere is the sixth book featuring Lieutenant Jonathan Stride who deals with serious crime in Duluth, Minnesota. This time, he faces a home invasion with

a difference. As he enters his house, he realizes he’s not alone. Moving cautiously, he discovers a sixteen-year-old girl has broken in. Her story is that someone is trying to kill her. She has no idea who it is nor what the reason is. But, as a teen prostitute who’s run away from her foster parents, it’s possible she’s seen something and doesn’t understand its significance. All this would normally lead to the girl being escorted back to her foster parents but this is different. Ten years ago, she was hiding under her house when her father killed her mother and then turned a gun on himself. Stride had made promises to protect this woman. The burden of guilt leads him to trust what this girl says and offer his protection again. Except just what is her motive in reappearing in Stride’s life at this time? Those around him worry Stride is putting himself at risk. Then there’s a murder and suddenly her story looks more convincing. The result is an outstanding mystery thriller. Reviewed by David Marshall In the Morning I’ll Be Gone: A Detective Sean Duffy Novel (The Troubles Trilogy) By Adrian McKinty Seventh Street Books, $15.95, 300 pages Check this out! In the Morning I’ll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty brings The Troubles Trilogy to an outstand ing conc lusion. Taken overall, this set of three books which sits on the cusp of historical mysteries and thrillers, has made a major contribution to understanding how the people of Northern Ireland responded to the sectarian warfare going on around them. The combination of unflinching realism and mordant black humor has been a delight to read with the protagonist, Sean Duffy, one of the most interesting of brilliant obsessive depressives we’ve seen in recent books. This time around, he’s been demoted in the ranks and, as was almost inevitable, the senior officers find an excuse to scapegoat him for an accidental injury to a pedestrian and he’s suddenly out of the force. With nothing better to do with his time, he settles into a routine of booze, drugs, and barely enough food to keep himself alive until MI5 wake up to the chance that he may be the only one to find a man who’s recently escaped from prison. On the way to catching the man, Duffy also solves a locked-room mystery which is a joy in its own right. Although this can be read as a standalone, I strongly recommend you read the books in order. Reviewed by David Marshall

Tulsa Book Review • May 2014 • 2

Dakota By Gwen Florio The Permanent Press, $28.00, 272 pages Check this out! Death on the reservation was a constant c omp a n i on , but when a young Native American girl dies in the snow trying to go home, Lola starts to find out about all the other missing girls. Lola goes to the patch, a shantytown near the oil rigs. The men go there to make money off the rigs and the women go to make money off the men. Her instincts as a reporter tell her there’s something going on and she’s determined to uncover the secret. She finds the town of Burnt Creek infected with prostitution, rampant crime, and murder. Before long, she uncovers the scheme, but instead of her initial plan to find information, she’s finds herself involved in a fight for her life. Dakota is a gripping adventure story packed with interesting characters, many of them living a hard life in a heartless town. Lola’s development from a young girl, unsure of what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, into a strong, independent woman, is believable and inspiring. Dakota is an insightful look into a unique lifestyle. The plot is engaging and suspenseful and I often found myself doubting Lola’s chances of escaping from her predicament. Reviewed by Jim Liston Three Weeks, cont’d from cover weeks. Lady X, or India as her friends call her, is a highly sought after interior designer by members of nobility. Of course like any good love story, it is never quite that easy. Neither Thorn nor Lady X foresee the intense connection they soon will have with each other. You will have to read the book to find out the rest of the story. This wonderfully written book is one of the best that Eloisa James has written. If you have not read one of her titles or even a historical romance, I would recommend starting with this title. The mixture of welldeveloped characters, humor and descriptive language of the time period makes for a great romance read. The strong and independent heroine is engaging to readers and provides witty charm along with some vulnerability. While we think of romance stories as formulaic, this book goes beyond that with its lyrical language. The romance level would be considered steamy and not for those looking for a gentle read. This charming historical romance does not disappoint. Eloisa James gives the readers a book that is difficult to put down. Reviewed by Melissa Smith

Tulsa

Book Review

IN THIS ISSUE Mystery..........................................................2

Tulsa City-County Library 400 Civic Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 Ph. (918) 549-7323 EDITOR IN CHIEF Ross Rojek ross@1776productions.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT James Rasmussen COPY EDITORS Annie Peters Gretchen Wagner Amy Simko Holly Scudero Audrey Curtis Alex Masri Do Cathy Carmode Lim Christie Spurlock James Rasmussen EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Audrey Curtis Christopher Hayden

WEBSITE TulsaBookReview.com

Romance.........................................................4 Historical Fiction........................................ 4, 5 Home, Garden & DIY......................................5 Regency Romance Weekend............................5 Science Fiction................................................6 Fantasy...........................................................7 Kids’ Books.....................................................8 Touch-A-Truck................................................8 Teen Scene......................................................9 Fiction.........................................10, 11, 12, 13 Cookbooks.............................................. 14, 15

FROM THE PUBLISHER May marks spring and the end of the school year here in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, the end of school also marks the onset of what researchers call “the summer slide.” This is the effect brought on by children who don’t read or engage in learning activities/games during the summer. Knowledge they learned during the school year slowly recedes and they start the school year further behind than when they left. One way to combat the summer slide is by encouraging young people in your life to participate in the Tulsa City-County Library’s Summer Reading Program. Research shows that children who participate in programs like this do better when they return to school versus children who do not. Summer reading is not only good for young minds, it also is fun. This year’s themes are “Fizz, Boom, Read” for children and “Spark a Reaction” for teens and tweens. Participants will have an opportunity to attend related events, earn a prize booklet and a medal at the end of the summer. Teens and tweens will get a chance to earn eBadges too. While the Summer Reading Program is popular as more than 43,000 Tulsa County children participate, there always is room for more. This year, we are launching an exciting new element – an Adult Summer Reading Program. After all why should the kids have all the fun? While participants are free to read any book they wish, participants are encouraged to read this year’s “One Book, One Tulsa” selection, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. There will be fun programs associated with this book for adults too. So please peruse these pages to pick out your summer reads and we will look forward to seeing you at the library soon. Warm regards,

Asian-American Festival...............................15 Storytime in the Park...................................16 The Tulsa Book Review is published monthly by City Book Review. The opinions expressed in these pages are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Tulsa Book Review or City Book Review advertisers. All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders. All words ©2014, City Book Review

Gary Shaffer Tulsa City-County Library CEO

Coming Up! Mark your calendar for the 2014 AsianAmerican Festival, set for Saturday, June 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Martin Regional Library. Also, save the date for the 2014 Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature presentation to Jack Gantos, author of the Newbery Medal-winning Dead End in Norvelt, on Friday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. at Hardesty Regional Library.

Book Reviews Category

Romance SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Trouble With Honor By Julia London Harlequin, $7.99, 384 pages Check this out! George Easton is taken aback by Honor Cabot’s fiery personality and determination. Unlike the other debutantes he has met during the London season, Honor stands out. Having endured three seasons without agreeing to marry, Honor is thrown into a desperate situation when her step-father is on the brink of death, her mother suffers from dementia and her step-brother, Augustine, is betrothed to marry Monica, a woman who wants to turn Honor and her three sisters out of the estate as soon as she is part of the family. At first, Honor turns to George to convince him to seduce Monica away from Augustine. But as she grows fonder of him, she is less intent on playing society’s games, and more determined to win George’s heart. The Trouble with Honor was a fun, fastpaced read. The pages flew by, as I was lost in the charade between Honor and George. The pair was very compatible. Honor was a boisterous and determined heroine who knew what she wanted and set out to get it. George was cavalier and somewhat of a rake. The story was well-presented and loose ends were tied up neatly. I’ll definitely read Julia London’s work again. Reviewed by Caryn Shaffer Lady in Red By Màire Claremont Signet Eclipse, $7.99, 320 pages Check this out! Mary’ s father murdered her beautiful mother and sent her away to a madhouse. He’s led society to believe she’s dead and even went so far as to have a funeral for her and “bury” her next to her mother. Yet Mary is not dead. She’s damaged and her spirit has nearly been destroyed, but she’s escaped

from the madhouse and into the arms of a protector. There’s only one thing she wants: revenge. Her life cannot truly begin anew until the monster has been stopped. Dark, dangerous, gruesome, and gritty, Lady in Red is not your typical historic romance. The violence, rape, drugs, and murder were a real shock and contributed to one of the darkest romances I’ve ever read. I didn’t like the relationship between the hero and heroine at first or the brothel aspect that placed an abused woman into a mistress/ protector relationship after he’d seen her naked in a bathtub. Creepy. They did grow on me as the novel progressed, though, and it was great how Fairleigh helped Mary find her inner power and keeps her safe from her murderous father. Their pasts were both so complicated and messy that throwing them together somehow made sense and they complimented each other. Edgy, hot, and dangerous, Lady in Red is a stand-out in the genre. Reviewed by Jennifer Melville Happily Ever After By Elizabeth Maxwell Touchstone, $15.00, 320 pages Check this out! Ever wonder where writers get the inspiration for their character’s descriptions and personalities? What would you do if you stumbled upon one of your favorite characters from a beloved book while out shopping or in the elevator on your way to work? What happens to the characters in all of the unfinished manuscripts? Sadie Fuller is very meticulous about developing her characters. She spends countless hours people watching to find someone she can mold into the perfect character for her books. Even after all that, sometimes the story goes unfinished for a multitude of reasons and she doesn’t think of it again.

However, her characters have minds of their own and want their story to be completed. When she goes over her current ma nuscr ipt and finds a character and parts of the story she didn’t write she fears she’s losing her mind. Her fears are confirmed when she stumbles across one her characters while shopping in Target. Little does she know that this unforeseen turn in the story in a roundabout way is meant to help her find what she has lost in her life. Elizabeth Maxwell has written a quirky story that will remind readers of the movie Stranger than Fiction. If you’re looking for a romance with an original storyline, look no further. Reviewed by Jennifer Moss Dash of Peril (Love Undercover) By Lori Foster Harlequin HQN, $7.99, 384 pages Check this out! Dash is the brother of Detective Logan Riske and one of the only men who sees Lieutenant Margo Peterson as a something more than a ball busting, no nonsense po-

lice officer. Margo has learned never to show weakness and never to trust someone enough to let them behind her defenses long enough to form a relationship. An attempt on Margo’s life forces the two to have to work together to track down a sleazy ring that is kidnapping women to produce bondage films. Things heat up both on the case and in the bedroom but can Dash convince Margo that he is what she needs both in and outside of the bedroom? Dash of Peril is the fourth book in the Lover Undercover series and while it definitely has a different vibe than the previous books in the series it is still a sexy, addicting addition. While Dash still has the alpha male hero traits like Lori Foster’s previous heroes he also accepts the strength, intelligence and aggressiveness that makes Margo the impressive lieutenant she is. They complement each other well and have sizzling chemistry. Another win for Lori Foster. Reviewed by Debbie Suzuki

Category

Fantasy SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Rex Regis (The Imager Portfolio) By L.E. Modesitt, Jr. Tor Books, $27.99, 448 pages Check this out! The Eighth book of the Imager Portfolio finds Quaeryt at a pause in the struggle to unite the continent of Lydar. His imagers work to restore some of what has been lost to battle. The defeat of Antiago is a step forward for the campaign, but much destruction has taken place in the cities of Ephra and Kephria. While his wife rests to overcome the physical effects of her injury caused miscarriage of their first child, he and his imagers do what they can to rebuild some of the city, and begin the construction for what they hope will be the Imagers Isle. Much remains to be done, Khel is a large area, and the decisions of its council remain open leaving the question of the need for war in that quarter. Then when a major commander loses touch with Headquarters and, Quaeryt suspects treachery that must be stopped if his goal of safety for imagers, and Bhayar’s of a united continent and peace is to be realized. Marvelously realized with detail and introspection, this entry into the Portfolio is absorbing and full of the magic that is expected from Modesitt. Reviewed by Beth Revers Masks By E.C. Blake DAW Books, $19.95, 304 pages Check this out! After putting down a rebellion, the Autarch of Aygrima devises a plan to ensure the loyalty of citizens. At the age of 15, citizens don a magic-infused mask, which they must wear at all times in public. The mask confers social status, with those few magical citizens wearing more elaborate masks, and which denote their particular occupation in society. On her fifteenth birthday, Mara, daughter of a renowned mask-maker, looks forward to her masking, which will ensure her plans to apprentice with her father.

Then, to her surprise, her mask rejects her, and she is taken away from her family and home, to toil in the mines with those like her. But while working in those mines she begins to understand the hidden truths about the Autarch and his rule over society. The marketing material with this first novel in a fantasy trilogy suggests that it will appeal to fans of Pullman’s Golden Compass, or Collins’ Hunger Games. However, I would relate this highly readable book more closely to Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, or Britain’s Green Rider Series. Reviewed by Robert Robinson

Dragons Wild By Robert Asprin Ace, $7.99, 368 pages Check this out! Robert Asprin is perhaps best known for his “Myth” series. Whimsical, humorous, and full of mischief. I will confess I’d read a few of those and his “Phule’s” books, and had not revisited him in years. So it was a true shock to read this engaging and totally different direction by an old friend and to find on the inside back cover that he had himself gone

Irenicon: Book 1 of the Wave Trilogy By Aidan Harte Jo Fletcher Books, $26.99, 388 pages Check this out! Irenicon is a powerful fantasy set in an alternate history medieval Italy where the scientific method has been applied to many aspects of life and produced a society in which a new clan of engineers now asserts control over warring nobles and clerics. The most powerful demonstration of this new science is The Wave. This is the weaponization of water. The most spectacular demonstration of this power has been in Rasenna, where the engineers created a river which broke through the city walls and divided the city. Two features make this river remarkable: first, it flows uphill; second, it’s populated by aggressive spirits that pull the unwary into the water and drown them. So, literally and metaphorically, the city is divided against itself as the remaining clans draw up battle lines along the river banks Tulsa Book Review • May 2014 • 7

interdimensional in 2008. There is another in this Dragon series penned solely by Asprin, Dragons Luck, and another done with Jody Lynn Nye. I urge you to run out and buy them all. Leaving the college where he has never developed a passion for anything but poker, Griffen McCandles finds himself, and his sister, Valerie, blown away by the discovery that they are in fact human/dragon hybrids, with the dragon part predominating. This puts them at immediate risk, as dragon politics tend to get heated. Griffen’s discoveries range from learning why he has always been good at reading opponents, to some very lubricious and delicious introductions to the intensity of female dragons. Set in the French Quarter of New Orleans, where Mr. Asprin made his home until leaving our sphere, the action is colorful, rich, and kaleidoscopic. Reviewed by David Sutton

eBooks Now Available! Tulsa City-County Library has thousands of eBooks, audiobooks and more that are available for free download and checkout to your Kindle®, iPad®, iPod®, NOOK™ and other mobile devices. Visit http://tulsalibrary.org/downloads to access the library’s digital catalog.

Book Reviews Category

Kids’ Books SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Girl From the Tar Paper School By Teri Kanefield Abrams Books for Young Readers, $19.95, 56 pages Check this out! Barbara Rose Johns was a quiet girl, the kind of girl who would disappear into the background, but Barbara had important work to do. It was 1950 and the two high schools in the small town of Farmville, Virginia – one for whites and one for blacks – were terribly different from each other. The facility for the white teens was a beautiful, large brick edifice with all the best the town had to offer the young charges. The facility for the black teens was a small, rundown building surrounded by temporary classrooms clad in tar paper. The temporary rooms, which threatened to become permanent, had poor heating and leaked like sieves. When students and parents complained, they were told the school board had plans for a new school building, but they would just have to be patient. Barbara thought they had all been patient quite long enough. When Barbara Johns decided to take a stand, it was before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, it was before Martin Luther King, Jr., began to lead his peaceful marches, and it was before Barbara’s 17th birthday. Barbara called on the strongest and brightest in her class to plan a strike by students that carefully shielded their parents and teachers. And it was one that truly offered a very real chance of success. When the students call upon the NAACP for help, they get perhaps more than they bargained for. This is a story that has been largely ignored or forgotten, but one that deserves the careful attention to detail author Teri Kanefield brings to it. Her research is thorough, and her writing brings real life to this important moment in the history of Civil Rights in America. Middle-grade readers will be captured by the courage and steadfastness of the young heroine and her friends. Teachers will be grateful for the accessibility of the writing and the careful research shown here. This fine book deserves wide readership and a place in classrooms and libraries everywhere. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck

Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America By Tonya Bolden Abrams Books for Young Readers, $21.95, 80 pages Check this out! The account of Sarah Rector’s life is captivatingly told by Tonya Bolden, using an impressive and varied collection of primary documents. Readers learn about early relations between Indians and blacks, with particular emphasis on the Creeks, of which Sarah Rector’s family was Creek freedmen. Sarah’s riches stem from an allotment of land she received as a member of the Creek Nation. Fortunately for Sarah, in the ground beneath her allotment sat an oil reservoir. By leasing land to oil drilling companies, Sarah went from “poor to plute” under the guardianship of T.J. Porter, a white man appointed legal guardian to help manage her estate. Was T.J. Porter a grafter? Why wasn’t Sarah attending a top school for black children? Did Sarah’s parent indeed select Porter as her guardian? The primary sources (many of which are pictured throughout the story) – census records, court petitions, newspaper clippings, photographs, maps – offer clues, but we never hear an account of Sarah’s life from Sarah. The Author’s Note provides more details of Bolden’s research on Sarah Rector and T.J. Porter. This, along with the glossary, bibliographic notes, and selected resources serve as an ambitious model for tween researchers to follow and provide resources for further examination. Reviewed by Africa Hands Just Grace and the Super Sleepover By Charise Mericle Harper HMH Books for Young Readers, $15.99, 208 pages Check this out! Just Grace has been invited to Grace F.’s sleepover birthday party, which sounds great until Just Grace finds out they will all be sleeping outside in a tent. Her dad helps her get ready by borrowing a tent and having a camping night in their own back yard. Then Just Grace feels better. But Just

Grace forgot to make a birthday card for Grace F., as she had promised her best friend, Mimi. When Mimi asks Just Grace about it, before she knows what she’s doing, she has told Mimi a lie. The thing about a lie is it doesn’t just go away. In fact, it seems to grow and grow. Just Grace tries to cover up what she has done, and things get worse and worse for her. Will she be able to find her way out of the trouble she has made for herself? Will Mimi ever forgive her for what she has done? Book eleven in this popular series does not disappoint. The story and characters are just as fresh as earlier books, and the story is as compelling. The voice is pitch perfect, and there is plenty of fun for young readers. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Gooney Bird and All Her Charms By Lois Lowry, Middy Thomas (illustrator) HMH Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 160 pages There is a new visitor at Watertower Elementary School: Napoleon Bonaparte,

Owas so Lib

Tulsa Book Review • May 2014 • 8

rary •

103

the skeleton. When the school’s principal fails to mention the arrival of this new guest in his morning announcements, Mrs. P id geon’s second grade class decides they must make their visitor known to all the students in the school. Gooney Bird and her classmates bring Napoleon Bonaparte to various rooms like the library and cafeteria to educate their peers about the human body. At first, everybody is welcoming to this new guest. But when Napoleon suddenly goes missing, it is up to Gooney Bird and her friends to solve the mystery. Lois Lowry’s mixture of plot and science lessons is an excellent way to teach children about how the human body works. Coupled with engaging illustrations, Mrs. Pidgeon’s second grade class educates their readers about the digestive system, how the brain works and other functions of the human body in a fun and entertaining way. Once again, Lowry captures the voice of second graders and provides children with a new way to learn through her quirky characters. Reviewed by Diane Vestuto

W. Br (and oadw adult ay • 9 doze s , t o 18.54 o ns of ) c a n exp 9.762 big tr l ore a ucks 4 city s n t d h treets ey se Spon disco sored e , v from e e by book ach day o r mobi n our les to backh oes. Kids

TulsaLibrary.org

918.549.READ

MAY 2014

A FREE MONTHLY GUIDE TO YOUR COMMUNITY LIBRARY, ITS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Teen/TWeen suMMer reading PrograM • Page 2

adult/teen events BIXBY LIBRARY a-book-a-Month discussion group Wednesday, May 21 • 2-3 p.m. Read any book by author Ann Purser and then join us for this lively discussion. For adults.

BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY open book discussion group Tuesday, May 6 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Read “Someday Someday Maybe” by Lauren Graham and then join us for this lively discussion. read or die Manga/ anime club for Teens saturday, May 17 • 12:30-2 p.m. location: Meeting room our cosmic neighborhood ABCs: Exoplanets Monday, May 19 • 6:30-8 p.m. Join the Broken Arrow Sidewalk Astronomers for this awesome presentation. It's not just the planets and stars out there! For all ages.

L I B R A R Y CLOSINGS

genealogy Webinar WiTH MarK loWe • Page 3

BROKEN ARROW library/souTH novels at night book club Monday, May 12 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Read "Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan and then join us for this lively discussion. Limited copies of the book are available. Call 918-549-7662 to inquire. For adults.

brooKside library book group Monday, May 12 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Read "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed and then join us for this lively discussion. This is the story of a 1,100-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe and built her back up again. For adults. Helping Kids sleep strong Monday, May 12 • 6-7:30 p.m. Is your child experiencing problems at school or home? Problem behaviors are sometimes caused by problem sleep. Sleep is a potent tool and has the power to prevent illness, encourage good health and growth, and improve behavioral problems and mood. This workshop is designed to help parents and educators better understand the importance of sleep. The workshop provides adults with tools and strategies to foster high-quality sleep for children

All Tulsa City-County Library locations are closed on Sunday, May 25 and Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day.

cHildren's suMMer reading PrograM • Page 5

and addresses common sleep problems. For adults. Sponsored by the University of Tulsa.

COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY get Moving at your library Mondays, May 5, 12 • 2:45-3:30 p.m. Get your move on and stay healthy. Join us for dancing through Wii Just Dance 4. For teens. Sponsored by the Friends of the Collinsville Library. sukikyo! anime club Wednesday, May 14 • 3-4:30 p.m. Join other anime/manga fans to discuss your favorite books, movies, characters and plot twists from this popular Japanese publishing trend. For teens. Sponsored by the Friends of the Collinsville Library. utime@yourlibrary Thursday, May 15 • 2:30-4:30 p.m. Join us for fun activities, gaming and crafts. For teens. Sponsored by the Friends of the Collinsville Library.

HardesTy regional LIBRARY simple steps for starting your business: start-up basics Thursday, May 1 • 6-8:30 p.m. location: ash room Want to start a business? Get the help you need with SCORE experts.

enTries accePTed May 1-June 5 Page 8

Learn the essentials of business start-ups, get action steps for your business and receive one-to-one mentoring. SCORE is a nonprofit association of volunteer business experts. Registration is required. Go to www.tulsa.score.org to register. "The Bully Plays" Presented by Sun Caste Reader's Theater Group Thursday, May 1 • 7-9 p.m. Location: Connor's Cove "The Bully Plays" is an exploration of the devastating impact of bullying. Six vignettes designed to underscore the tragic consequences are performed via reader's theater by young people ages 8-18. At times tragic, the compelling stories bring an important message: Stand up and speak up! Before and after the performance, members of Tulsa's Anti-Bullying Collaboration will provide booths with information on teen counseling services. Booths from local social-service agencies will be available as well. Plus, a special presentation for adults on teen suicide intervention, prevention and indications will be offered from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. For all ages. Sponsored by AfricanAmerican Resource Center, Williams, Tulsa's Anti-Bullying Collaboration and Rejoice Dance Studio.

Hearing loop available. Switch hearing aid to T-coil.

a d u l t / t e e n (Hardesty Regional Library continued)

diy Maker: sewing beyond the basics saturday, May 3 • 1-4 p.m. location: Pecan room You have bonded with your sewing machine; now learn essential techniques for any project, including curved seams, different kinds of gathering, working with elastic, buttonholes, finishing seams and more. Plus, learn about bias tape – what it's for, how to use it and how to make it. Our project for the day will be a chicken pincushion. For ages 10 and older. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7550 to register. Bring your own sewing machine. Movie: "Sense and Sensibility" saturday, May 3 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Location: Connor's Cove Starring Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant, this delightful movie, based on Jane Austen's book, tells the story of two sisters attempting to find happiness in the tightly structured society of 18th century England where status and money govern the rules of love. For ages 10 and older. Meet Historical romance author eloisa James sunday, May 4 • 2:30-4 p.m. location: Frossard auditorium Meet New York Times bestselling historical romance author Eloisa James as she discusses her novels and career, answers questions and signs books. Books will be available for purchasing, courtesy of Barnes & Noble. Hardesty book discussion Wednesday, May 7 • 10:30-11:30 a.m. Read "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield and then join us for this lively discussion. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk. For adults. diy Maker: Knitting and crocheting saturday, May 10 • 1-4 p.m. location: Maple room If you've ever wanted to learn to knit or crochet, this is the program for you. Learn beginning stitches and techniques, plus create your first project. For teens and adults. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7550 to register. Hardesty anime/Manga club saturday, May 10 • 1-2:30 p.m. location: ash room If you love anime/manga and can't stop talking about it, then join us for our monthly meeting. Wear your favorite cosplay outfit. For teens.

e v e n t s

c o n t i n u e d

genealogy Webinar With Mark lowe Thursday, May 22 • 6:30-8:30 p.m. location: Frossard auditorium Join popular genealogist Mark Lowe as he presents an interactive webinar entitled "Discover Your Magic Genealogy Box." Learn useful tips for more successful searching, discover which online sites and books should always be within your reach, plus learn how these records will improve your daily genealogical search activities. For adults.

HelMericH library books People are Talking about Wednesday, May 21 • 12:15-1:15 p.m. May is Short Story Month. Join us for a discussion of contemporary and classic short stories by Alice Munro, Lorrie Moore, Flannery O'Connor and Leo Tolstoy. For adults. Sponsored by the Friends of the Helmerich Library.

JenKs library JTag and creative Writing for Teens Tuesday, May 6 • 4-5 p.m. Join Jenks Teen Advisory Group as we discuss and plan library services for teens, plus talk about the Young People's Creative Writing Contest and think of story ideas. Jenks library book discussion group Thursday, May 15 • 1:30-2:30 p.m. Read the selected book and then join us for this lively discussion. Call 918-549-7570 for book title. For adults.

librariuM ebook office Hours Wednesday, May 14 • 1-3 p.m. Get one-to-one assistance from trained library staff on accessing eBooks, audiobooks, digital magazines, music downloads, streaming movies and more. Bring your device, and we will walk you through setup and answer all your burning questions about library eContent. For all ages. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7349 to register. afternoons and coffee spoons book group Wednesday, May 28 • 2-3 p.m. Read "The Silver Star" by Jeannette Walls and then join us for this lively discussion. In this novel, two motherless sisters, Bean and Liz, are shuttled to Virginia where their Uncle Tinsley lives in the decaying mansion that's been in their family for generations. For adults.

T u l s a l i b r a r y . o r g

Join Tulsa City-County Library’s

2014 TEEN AND TWEEN

SUMMER

READING

PROGRAM MAY 27-AUG. 2 Earn great prizes and coupons for food and local recreation! Attend awesome free events! Read for the fun of it! You must have completed fifth grade to participate. Register online or at any library location. Visit any library location to get a Summer Reading Program Event Guide. Learn more at http://teens.tulsalibrary.org.

Hearing loop available. Switch hearing aid to T-coil.

a d u l t / t e e n

e v e n t s

c o n t i n u e d

MARTIN REGIONAL LIBRARY

RUDISILL REGIONAL LIBRARY

for coffee and share what you've been reading.

Minecraft Night Thursday, May 8 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Put your imagination to the test building your own world in the popular computer game Minecraft. For ages 10-18. Class size is limited.

Simple Steps for Starting Your Business: Start-Up Basics Saturday, May 17 • 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Location: Greenwood Room Want to start a business? Get the help you need with SCORE experts. Learn the essentials of business start-ups, get action steps for your business and receive one-to-one mentoring. SCORE is a nonprofit association of volunteer business experts. Registration is required. Go to www.tulsa.score.org to register.

SKIATOOK LIBRARY

Teen Time Wednesdays, May 14, 21 • 4-5 p.m. Location: Auditorium Join us for Wii and board games, snacks and fun. For ages 10-18. Third Thursday Book Club Thursday, May 15 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Location: Lecture Room Join us for an informal get-together to talk about books. We'll discuss "Sharpe's Rifles" by Bernard Cornwell. Participants should read the book prior to the program. Registration is required. Call Jason Patteson at 918-549-7600 to register and reserve a copy of the book.

SCHUSTERMAN-BENSON LIBRARY Mystery Readers Roundtable Thursday, May 1 • 2-3 p.m. Stuck in a mystery rut? Come

Paracord Bracelets Tuesday, May 20 • 3:30-4:45 p.m. We will make Paracord (Survival) Bracelets. Supplies will be provided. For ages 10-18.

ZARROW REGIONAL LIBRARY Homestuck Club for Teens Thursday, May 8 • 6-8 p.m. Location: North Room If you're a reader of "Homestuck" or interested in learning more about this webcomic/Flash animation/ video game hybrid, join us for a fun evening with fellow fans.

Lego Build Saturday, May 17 • 2-3 p.m. Use your imagination and ingenuity to build your own Lego creation. Bring your own Legos or use ours. For ages 18 and younger. Minecraft Night Thursday, May 29 • 6-8 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Put your imagination to the test building your own world in the popular computer game Minecraft. For ages 10-18.

Check the Teen/Tween Summer Reading Program Event Guide for additional events scheduled in May.

Manga Ai! Saturday, May 17 • 2-3 p.m. Location: Conference Room Munch on Pocky and meet up with other manga and anime fans to discuss your favorite books and movies, characters and plot twists. For ages 10-18. Teen Advisory Board Saturday, May 17 • 3:15-4 p.m. Location: Conference Room Enjoy snacks, discuss programming, and help provide a teen perspective on the services and materials Martin Regional Library offers. New members welcome. For ages 12-18.

NATHAN HALE LIBRARY Playwriting Workshop With Michael Wright Saturday, May 10 • 3-4:30 p.m. Get ready for the 2014 Young People's Creative Writing Contest! The workshop will cover aspects of playwriting, including proper stage play format, creating a script for the imaginative possibilities of the stage, and tips on aspects such as writing good dialogue and creating characters. Michael Wright is the director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Creative Writing at The University of Tulsa, where he teaches screenwriting and playwriting. He has taught playwriting to students from ages 8 to 80, and has directed the "Brainstorms: New Works by Young Writers" project for the past eight years. For ages 10-18. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7617 to register. Sponsored by Tulsa Library Trust.

Thursday, May 22 6:30-8:30 p.m.

HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY FROSSARD AUDITORIUM Join popular genealogist Mark Lowe as he presents this interactive webinar. Learn useful tips for more successful searching, discover which online sites and books should always be within your reach, plus learn how these records will improve your daily genealogical search activities.

Tulsa city-county library event guide

MAY 2014

c o m p u t e r

computer classes HARDESTY REGIONAL LIBRARY LOCATION: COMPUTER LAB Classes are limited to 18 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Really Basic PC Class Thursday, May 1 • 9:30-11:30 a.m. This class is designed for new PC users who have little or no experience using Windows, a mouse, or the Internet, and little knowledge of basic computer terms. Minecraft Gaming Thursday, May 1 • 6-7:30 p.m. Location: Computer Lab Put your imagination to the test building your own world in the popular game Minecraft. For ages 10-18. MS Word 1 Tuesday, May 6 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to use toolbars and menus, set margins, apply spell check, and preview, save and print documents. You should have some experience using a computer keyboard and mouse prior to taking this class. MS Word 2 Tuesday, May 13 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create and format tables, use bulleted and numbered lists, and apply and format columns in a document. You should take MS Word 1 prior to attending. Internet Basics Thursday, May 15 • 9:30-10:30 a.m. This class is designed for people with little or no experience using the Internet. You will learn to navigate the World Wide Web and use the library's catalog system and online resources. Downloading Free Music @ Your Library Saturday, May 17 • 9:30-11:30 a.m. Learn how to download to your computer or smartphone app five free songs a week from a catalog of more than 7 million songs on 10,000 labels. MS Word 3 Tuesday, May 20 • 6-8 p.m. Learn how to create and use borders and shading, headers and footers, page numbering and drawing tools. You should take MS Word 2 prior to taking this class.

c l a s s e s

Introduction to Your Library Catalog Thursday, May 22 • 9:30-11 a.m. You can use the library catalog for so much more than finding books. Learn the best ways to search the catalog, plus how to use its many special features, including creating lists, sharing comments and ratings with other library users, saving searches and adding items to your virtual shelves. Tablets 101 Saturday, May 24 • 9:30-11:30 a.m. Have you recently gotten a tablet computer, like an iPad or Kindle, but are having trouble figuring it out? Or are you thinking about buying a tablet but would like to see one up close to help you decide? If so, join us as we check out some of the latest tablets and learn the basics of how to use them. MS Word 4 Tuesday, May 27 • 6-8 p.m. This class explores mail merge, and shows how to use tables to perform calculations and create onscreen forms. You should take MS Word 3 prior to taking this class. 55+ Explore and Learn Thursday, May 29 • 9:30-10:30 a.m. Have you always wanted to learn a different language, take a fun class or brush up on your computer skills? If so, join us for an overview of these free library databases: Mango Languages, Universal Class and Learning Express. Let the fun begin! For ages 55 and older.

MARTIN REGIONAL LIBRARY

LOCATION: COMPUTER LAB Classes are limited to 12 on a first-come, first-served basis. Open Lab Thursdays, May 1, 15 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. If you are new to computers, drop by this come-and-go lab to receive one-to-one help in a selfpaced, relaxed environment. MS Excel I Saturday, May 3 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create formulas, use automatic fill and change basic formatting. You should take MS Word 2 and have some experience using a mouse prior to taking this class. How to Use Zinio: Digital Magazines Thursday, May 8 • 1:30-3:30 p.m. Learn how to access your favorite magazines on your desktop, smartphone or other portable device.

T u l s a L i b r a r y . o r g

c h i l d r e n ' s

e v e n t s

MS Excel 2 Saturday, May 10 • 10 a.m.-noon This class shows how to create and edit formulas, and apply functions and advanced formatting to your spreadsheets and workbooks. You should take MS Excel 1 prior to taking this class. MS Excel 3 Saturday, May 17 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create charts, apply conditional formatting and control the appearance of printed spreadsheets. You should take MS Excel 2 prior to taking this class. Internet @ the Library Thursday, May 22 • 6-8 p.m. This class is designed for people with little or no experience using the Internet. You will learn to navigate the World Wide Web and use the library's catalog system and online resources. MS PowerPoint 101 Saturday, May 24 • 10 a.m.-noon Learn how to create group presentations and slide shows. You should take MS Word 2 prior to taking this class.

RUDISILL REGIONAL LIBRARY

LOCATION: COMPUTER LAB Registration is required. Classes are limited to 12 on a first-come, first-served basis. Call 918-549-7645 to register. Really Basic Computer Class Friday, May 2 • 9:30-11 a.m. This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms. MS Publisher 101 Friday, May 9 • 9:30-11 a.m. Learn how to create fun and colorful signs and fliers. You should take MS Word 2 prior to taking this class. MS Word 1 Friday, May 16 • 9:30-11 a.m. Learn how to use toolbars and menus, set margins, apply spell check, and preview, save and print documents. You should have some experience using a computer keyboard and mouse prior to taking this class. Email 101 Friday, May 23 • 9:30-11 a.m. Learn how to set up a free account and use it to send and receive email. You should take an Internet @ the Library class or have a familiarity with the basic functions of navigating the Internet prior to taking this class.

children’s events BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY PAWS for Reading Wednesday, May 14 • 4-5 p.m. Location: Meeting Room Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Registration begins at 3:45 p.m. on the day of the program.

BROKEN ARROW LIBRARY/SOUTH Music and Movement Storytime Thursday, May 1 • 10:30-10:50 a.m. Stretch! Jump! Sing! Read! Join us as we enjoy great books while we get out all our wiggles with fun group activities. For ages 2-5.

BROOKSIDE LIBRARY Preschool Storytime Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10:15-10:45 a.m. • The best in children's literature, songs, games, finger plays, rhymes and other reading-related activities are shared with your preschooler. For ages 2-5. My First Storytime Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 11-11:20 a.m. • Learn and enjoy songs, stories and activities that are just right for your little one at this lapsit storytime. For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers. Mother's Day Craft Thursday, May 8 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Make pretty tissue-paper flowers as a present for Mother's Day. For ages 5-12.

CHARLES PAGE LIBRARY PAWS for Reading Monday, May 5 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Class size is limited.

c h i l d r e n ' s Preschool Storytime Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20 10:30-11:15 a.m. • For ages 5 and younger accompanied by an adult. May 6 • Mom and Grandmas May 13 • Leap Frog May 20 • Going on a Picnic (bring a picnic lunch)

COLLINSVILLE LIBRARY Stories From the Rocking Chair Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10:30-11 a.m. • Enjoy stories, songs, crafts and more. For newborns to 4-year-olds and caregivers. PAWS for Reading Wednesday, May 21 • 3-4 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

GLENPOOL LIBRARY Ms. Tatiana's Family Storytime Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21 10:30-11 a.m. • The best in children's literature, songs, games, finger plays, rhymes and other reading-related activities are shared with your preschooler. For ages 5 and younger accompanied by an adult.

HERMAN AND KATE KAISER LIBRARY My First Storytime Thursdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 10:30-11:30 a.m. • For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For newborns to 3-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10:30-11:30 a.m. • The best in children's literature, songs, games, finger plays, rhymes and other reading-related activities are shared with your preschooler. For ages 2-5. PAWS for Reading Wednesdays, May 14, 28 • 3:30-5 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7542 to register.

e v e n t s

c o n t i n u e d

Sensory Storytime Saturday, May 24 • 10:30-11:30 a.m. Does your child have difficulty sitting through storytime? If so, this inclusive, interactive program of stories, songs and activities may be just what you are looking for! Sensory Storytime focuses on learning with all five senses and is especially designed for children with a variety of learning styles or sensory integration challenges. Registration is required. Seating is limited. Register online at http:// kids.tulsalibrary.org/sensorystorytime or by calling 918-549-7542. For ages 1-7 and their caregivers.

JENKS LIBRARY My First Storytime Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10-10:15 a.m. • Learn and enjoy songs, stories and activities that are just right for your little one at this lapsit storytime. For newborns to 3-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool Storytime Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10:30-11 a.m. • For ages 4-5. May 7 • May Flowers May 14 • Bugs May 21 • Rainforest May 28 • Rodeo PAWS for Reading Tuesday, May 20 • 4-5 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Registration is required. Class size is limited. Call 918-549-7570 to register.

JUDY Z. KISHNER LIBRARY Terrific Tuesday: Creep, Crawl, Fly! Tuesday, May 6 • 3-4 p.m. "Bug-a-loo," everyone! Fly in and join us for some creepy, crawly fun! For ages 5-10.

KENDALL-WHITTIER LIBRARY Bilingual Storytime Wednesdays, May 14, 21, 28 10-10:45 a.m. • Enjoy stories, songs and activities in English and Spanish. For ages 4-5.

Join Tulsa City-County Library’s 2014

Children’s Summer

Reading Program

MAY 27-AUG. 2 Earn great prizes and coupons for food and local recreation! Attend awesome free events! Read for the fun of it! Newborns through fifth-graders may participate. Visit any library location to get a summer reading log and event guide. Learn more at http://kids.tulsalibrary.org.

Tulsa city-county library event guide

MAY 2014

c h i l d r e n ’ s

librariuM Family storytime Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 11-11:30 a.m. • The best in children's literature, songs, games, finger plays, rhymes and other reading-related activities are shared with your preschooler. For ages 5 and younger accompanied by an adult. PaWs for reading saturday, May 10 • 1-2 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

e v e n t s

MARTIN REGIONAL LIBRARY bilingual storytime Thursdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 10-10:30 a.m. Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 6:30-7 p.m. Enjoy stories, songs and activities in English and Spanish. For ages 5 and younger. book buddies Mondays, May 5, 12, 19 • 4-4:45 p.m. Join Ms. Michelle for a different book adventure every week. Make crafts, play games and hang out with your friends. For second- through fourth-graders.

c o n t i n u e d

storytime With Ms. Marie Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10-10:30 a.m. • For ages 5 and younger accompanied by an adult.

naTHan Hale library storytime With Miss nha Thursdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 10:30-11 a.m. • The best in children's literature, songs, games, finger plays, rhymes and other reading-related activities are shared with your preschooler. For ages 5 and younger accompanied by an adult.

tulsa city-county library locations 25 Bixby Library 20 E. Breckenridge, 74008 • 918-549-7514 M, 10-8; T-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-6; Sat., 10-5 19 broken arrow library 300 W. Broadway, 74012 • 918-549-7500 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 23 broken arrow library/south 3600 S. Chestnut, 74011 • 918-549-7662 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 17 brookside library 1207 E. 45th Place, 74105 • 918-549-7507 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 9 Central Library closed for renovation 400 Civic Center, 74103 • 918-549-7323 8 charles Page library 551 E. Fourth St., Sand Springs, 74063 918-549-7521 • M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 2 Collinsville Library 1223 Main, 74021 • 918-549-7528 M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5 24 Glenpool Library 730 E. 141st St., 74033 • 918-549-7535 M-Th, 12-8; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5 22 Hardesty regional library and genealogy center 8316 E. 93rd St., 74133 • 918-549-7550 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 21 Helmerich library 5131 E. 91st St., 74137 • 918-549-7631 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 18 Herman and Kate Kaiser library 5202 S. Hudson Ave., Suite B, 74135 918-549-7542 • M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 20 Jenks library 523 W. B St., 74037 • 918-549-7570 M-T, 12-8; W-Th, 10-6; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5 3 Judy Z. Kishner library 10150 N. Cincinnati Ave. E., Sperry 74073 • 918-549-7577 M-T, 12-7; W, 10-5; Th, 12-7; Fri., 12-5; Sat., 10-5

11 Kendall-Whittier library 21 S. Lewis, 74104 • 918-549-7584 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 10 librarium 1110 S. Denver Ave., 74119 • 918-549-7349 M-Th, 9-7; Fri.-Sat., 9-5 15 Martin regional library and Hispanic resource center 2601 S. Garnett Road, 74129 • 918-549-7590 M-Th, 9-9; Fri., 9-6; Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 7 Maxwell Park library 1313 N. Canton, 74115 • 918-549-7610 M-F, 10-6; Sat., 10-5 14 nathan Hale library 6038 E. 23rd St., 74114 • 918-549-7617 M, 10-8; T-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 4 owasso library 103 W. Broadway, 74055 • 918-549-7624 M-Th, 10-8; Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5 12 Pratt Library 3219 S. 113th W. Ave., Sand Springs, 74063 • 918-549-7638 M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 6 rudisill regional library and african-american resource center 1520 N. Hartford, 74106 • 918-549-7645 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5 13 schusterman-benson library 3333 E. 32nd Place, 74135 918-549-7670 • M-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5 1 skiatook library 316 E. Rogers, 74070 • 918-549-7676 M, 12-8; T-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 11-5 5 Suburban Acres Library 4606 N. Garrison, 74126 • 918-549-7655 M-Th, 10-6; Fri.-Sat., 11-5 16 Zarrow regional library and american indian resource center 2224 W. 51st St., 74107 • 918-549-7683 M-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5

T u l s a l i b r a r y . o r g

PaWs for reading saturday, May 24 • 2-3 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

OWASSO LIBRARY Touch-a-Truck Thursday, May 1 • 5-7 p.m. Kids (and adults, too) can explore and discover dozens of big trucks they see each day on our city streets, from bookmobiles to backhoes. For all ages. Sponsored by the Flint Family Foundation.

c h i l d r e n ’ s My First storytime Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 9:30-9:50 a.m. • Learn and enjoy songs, stories and activities that are just right for your little one at this lapsit storytime. For newborns to 3-year-olds and their caregivers. Preschool storytime Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10-10:30 a.m. • The best in children's literature, songs, games, finger plays, rhymes and other reading-related activities are shared with your preschooler. For ages 2-5. Stay and Play Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10:30-11 a.m. • For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! After our regularly scheduled storytime, join us for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 5 and younger and their caregivers. Homeschool storytime Tuesday, May 6 • 2-3 p.m. Join us as we read stories and make a craft. For ages 5-10. PaWs for reading Thursday, May 8 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. sensory storytime Friday, May 9 • 4-5 p.m. Does your child have difficulty sitting through storytime? If so, this inclusive, interactive program of stories, songs and activities may be just what you are looking for! Sensory Storytime focuses on learning with all five senses and is especially designed for children with a variety of learning styles or sensory integration challenges. Registration is required. Seating is limited. Register online at http:// kids.tulsalibrary.org/sensorystorytime or by calling 918-549-7624. For ages 1-7 and their caregivers. owasso Mother-daughter book club Thursday, May 15 • 6-7 p.m. Girls ages 9-12 and their mothers are invited to join us to discuss a great read. Copies of the featured book are available at the library. Participants should read the selected book prior to the program. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7624 to register.

e v e n t s

c o n t i n u e d

PRATT LIBRARY

early literacy skills. For newborns to 3-year-olds and their caregivers.

Preschool storytime Thursdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22 10:30-11:30 a.m. • For ages 5 and younger accompanied by an adult. May 1 • A Bounty of Books May 8 • Mother’s Day Party (bring goodies to share) May 15 • Circus Fun May 22 • Summer Reading Program Preview

ZARROW REGIONAL LIBRARY

PaWs for reading Monday, May 12 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

stay and Play storytime Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10:30-11:30 a.m. • Enjoy stories, rhymes and songs, and then stay after for games and activities that foster important early literacy skills. For ages 5 and younger accompanied by an adult.

richard Hight: The art of inspiration saturday, May 3 • 1-2 p.m. There are events you attend ... but this is one you experience! Richard Hight, an internationally known presenter, will wow us with his art, music and spoken word as he helps others find and use their gifts and talents. Be ready to be amazed at the oversized drawings he creates within the time limits of the performance! For ages 5-10.

rudisill regional LIBRARY Preschool storytime Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10-10:30 a.m. • The best in children's literature, songs, games, finger plays, rhymes and other reading-related activities are shared with your preschooler. For ages 5 and younger accompanied by an adult.

scHusTerManBENSON LIBRARY dora and diego’s Cinco de Mayo Adventure Monday, May 5 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Join Miss Stacy as we go on a Dora and Diego style adventure in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. Build your own backpack, follow the map and celebrate with a piñata! For ages 10 and younger. stay and Play storytime Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20, 27 10:30-11:30 a.m. • Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 2-5. My First storytime Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10-10:20 a.m. • Learn and enjoy songs, stories and activities that are just right for your little one at this lapsit storytime. For newborns to 3-year-olds and their caregivers. stay and Play storytime Wednesdays, May 7, 14, 21, 28 10:30-11:30 a.m. • For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical

SKIATOOK LIBRARY Preschool storytime Thursdays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 11-11:45 a.m. • Join us for stories, rhymes, songs and a craft. For newborns to 6-year-olds and their caregivers. PaWs for reading saturday, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 noon-1 p.m. • Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 3-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Have you Heard? Thursday, May 8 • 3:30-4:30 p.m. Discover the "mystery" book with activities, snacks and a craft. Get hooked on a great read. For grades kindergarten through third.

en español programas infantiles biblioTeca Kendall-WHiTTier cuentitos bilingües Miércoles, 14, 21, 28 de mayo 10-10:45 a.m. Cuentos, canciones y actividades en inglés y español. Para niños de 4 a 5 años.

TO SEARCH FOR EVENTS, SCAN THIS CODE USING YOUR MOBILE DEVICE AND QR SCANNER APP. The Tulsa City-County Library Event Guide is produced by the Public Relations Office of the Tulsa City-County Library. For questions or concerns, call 918-549-7389.

lego build saturday, May 17 • 2-3 p.m. Use your imagination and ingenuity to build your own Lego creation. Bring your own Legos or use ours. For ages 5-18. PaWs for reading saturday, May 31 • 2-3 p.m. Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

Check the Children's Summer Reading Program Event Guide for additional events scheduled in May.

Patrocinado por el Centro Hispano y el Fideicomiso de las Bibliotecas de Tulsa. Informes al 918-549-7597.

Tulsalibrary.org/hrc BIBLIOTECA REGIONAL MARTIN cuentitos bilingües Jueves, 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 de mayo 10-10:30 a.m. Miércoles, 7, 14, 21, 28 de mayo 6:30-7 p.m. Disfruta cuentos, canciones, y actividades en inglés y español. Para niños de 2 a 5 años. Patrocinado por el Centro Hispano.

Free and Open to the Public If you are hearing-impaired and need a qualiﬁed interpreter, please call the library 48 hours in advance of the program. The Tulsa Book Review and Tulsa City-County Library Event Guide are printed on partially recycled paper.

new catagory

For Ages 10-18

Cash Prizes!

Entries Accepted May 1-June 5 Enter online at

http://teens.tulsalibrary.org/ypcwc

or pick up an entry brochure at any library location. Sponsored by Tulsa Library Trust, KWGS Public Radio 89.5, Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust and Tulsaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Channel 8, with additional support provided by The Mary K. Chapman Foundation and George Kaiser Family Foundation.

Book Reviews Category

Teen Scene SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific By Mary Cronk Farrell, with a foreword by First Lieutenant Diane Carlson Evans Abrams Books for Young Readers, $24.95, 160 pages Check this out! Tales of heroism are not simply important narrative tools, both in studying history and sharing stories; they are a crucial record of those moments where humans went above and beyond in order to help and support others. And sadly, some truly worthwhile stories of heroism are only now coming to light after decades in the shadows. Pure Grit presents an unflinching look at the heroism of American Army and Navy nurses in the Pacific Theater during World War 2 after being captured by the Japanese forces in the Philippines. Collected from firsthand and secondhand accounts from the nurses and their families, this book reveals not only the dangers that those who support soldiers face, but the effects of the experience, effects which often last a lifetime. Even as a history buff, I discovered so much I didn’t know about the gritty day-today life of a nurse in the field, not to mention how long veterans have been treated shabbily by their military and government after serving. While designed for younger readers, this is a valuable read for people of all ages, bringing to earth not only the realities of war, but furthering the cause of offering well-deserved recognition to unsung heroes. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas When I Was the Greatest By Jason Reynolds, Michael Frost (photographer) Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 240 pages Check this out! Rarely, do I come across a young adult novel with which I identify, a novel that speaks of some of my childhood experiences while uttering the words of my friends,

schoolmates, and family, a story that opens with one of those out-of-left field questions that I was famous for asking. Ali lives by one word— loyalty. This si xteen-year old latchkey kid is fiercely loyal to his family and friends. Shying away from the trouble in his neighborhood, Ali spends his time boxing, watching his little sister, hanging out with Noodles and Needles, but mainly bailing Noodles out of his messes. Although Ali is usually the level-headed one of the group, he pushes for them to attend a party catering to an older crowd. However, the good time brings with it tragic consequences. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Reynolds’ writing style captures the authentic voice of a sixteen-year old male, prompting the words to leap off the page. The plot slowly builds like a lazy summer day. When I Was the Greatest is a splendid coming of age tale brimming with family, friendships, redemption, and second chances. Reviewed by Stephanie Tullis The Eye of Minds (The Mortality Doctrine) By James Dashner Delacorte Press, $18.99, 320 pages Check this out! When a gamer named Michael witnesses another gamer kill herself in the VirtNet, his world changes. Dying in the VirtNet is supposed to be safe because the gamer would just wake up in the real world. But what Michael saw was different; the gamer removed her core, the coding that separates reality from the VirtNet, right before she killed herself.

When Michael is approached by government agents, he has no choice but to help them. He knows that what they are asking is dangerous, but gamers are showing up brain dead and no one has any real answers. As the line between game and reality is blurred, Michael uncovers a shocking truth. Prepare to be mindblown! In The Eye of Minds, James Dashner crafts a complex action packed adventure that will leave the reader’s minds racing. In this new heart pounding adventure Dashner builds an extraordinary and complex world, with relatable characters and perfectly placed plot twists. The Eye of Minds is a spectacularly crafted Sci-Fi thriller that is bound to captivate audience of all ages with its incredible futuristic world of VirtNet. The Eye of Minds is a must read for anyone looking for a great book! Reviewed by Kira Watson Little Blue Lies By Chris Lynch Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 224 pages Check this out! Oliver O’Brien, usually referred to as O, and June Blue come from two different worlds. He comes from money, and she is of regular class. Oliver is unabashedly in love with June, and we are told from the beginning that their relationship is based on lies. Interestingly, and amusingly, June and Oliver manage to find an honest relationship on their beds of mendacity. When Oliver is suddenly, inexplicably dumped by June after they graduate high school, he is crushed and becomes obsequious in trying to win her back. When the head of a local organized crime syndicate, named One Who Knows, is after a lottery ticket that June is rumored to have won, Oliver desperately wants to save her. But with information being withheld from Oliver, and June’s stubbornness in the way, he finds obstacles in regaining the honest love he once had. The characters have just graduated high school, and while some of their mannerisms remind us of their age, the way they talked was more mature, which was refreshing. This is the first book of Chris Lynch’s that I have read but there were many lines that were witty, and I found the writing and conversations between characters to be quite funny. The story was not what I initially expected, but that was what made it really enjoyable. Little Blue Lies is a fairly quick read and a charming love story that I want to recommend to all readers. Reviewed by Lenna Stites

Tulsa Book Review • May 2014 • 9

Faking Normal By Courtney C. Stevens HarperTeen, $17.99, 336 pages Check this out!

Faking Normal took me by surprise. It is not very different in the sense that it is a young adult book, and that the dialogue in it can seem rehearsed. But as I kept reading, I realized that this was not your normal teen romance. It dares to deal with hard issues that most teenagers deal with, but do not want to talk about- and it also deals with the ones that they don’t usually deal with, noting that some experiences are harder to come to grips with. Courtney C. Stevens’ novel follows Alexi Littrell learns that some things may (not) be better forgotten. After the summer that her life fell apart, she meets Bodee. Bodee is quiet, and has his own problems to deal with. Lexi doesn’t think that he would have time for her, but she will learn that sometimes it takes someone else to reach out to you for the healing to begin. This is a great book for anyone who wants atypical YA fiction that will be sure to stay on your mind for a long time- in a really good way. Reviewed by Maddie Hudspeth Fake ID By Lamar Giles Amistad, $17.99, 302 pages Check this out! B e i n g the new kid at school is never easy, but it can be particularly difficult in high school, especially when you’re busy learning a new identity. Nick Pearson is not the first identity he has had to learn. At least Nick seems to have made a friend at his new school, but it’s clear he has made some enemies as well. The family is in Witness Protection, and the guy Nick makes friends with, Eli, runs the school newspaper all by himself and happens to have the hottest girl in the school for a sister. Eli is a true investigative reporter and is about to blow the lid off the little town they live in and, Nick realizes, will blow his family’s cover at the same time. Before that can happen, though, Eli is dead. The official story is suiSee Fake ID, cont’d on page 15

Book Reviews Category

and beyond, Cat and Bones and those who stand by them must move fast to stay ahead of not only their shadowy opponent, but the enforcers of undead law, to whom mercy is a foreign concept. Heart wrenching and breath stealing, don’t start this book too late at night, it is very hard to put down. A must read for fans of Frost, and a great series for all paranormal aficionados. Reviewed by Beth Revers

Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

& Sons: A Novel By David Gilbert Random House, $27.00, 448 pages Check this out! And Sons is the literary equiva lent of eating at a five-star restaurant. The book is about, obviously, fathers and sons. But it is also about relationships in general, life and death, what it means to be human, and one’s sense of self/identity. It follows a series of father and son relationships in many states of disrepair, and is told from the point of view of an outsider to the seemingly central characters. But the plot of this book isn’t nearly as important as the experience of reading it. It is so well put together, every word clearly given serious weight and chosen very carefully, and reading it feels good. The many layers of this book are impressive as well. Gilbert has fully imagined and fleshed out the career and works of his main character (a recluse author), and uses them cleverly as frames for his own characters. Each character has their own complex and colorful back-stories that, when woven together with the others, creates a rich tapestry of a novel. I think serious readers and writers alike will truly appreciate the craftsmanship that went into this novel. Seriously, go read it. Reviewed by Megan Rynott The Secret Daughter of the Tsar By Jennifer Laam St. Martin’s Griffin, $14.99, 352 pages Check this out! Lena was a loyal servant to the tsarina Alexandra. But with all the political intrigue going on at court, it’s hard to know what is right or wrong. Charlotte just wants to get her son safely out of German-occupied Paris—especially once a Nazi soldier who seems to know every detail of her life comes looking for her. And then there’s Veronica. She’s just trying to keep her career afloat when a meddling cousin introduces her to Michael—a tall, dark, and handsome man

who shares her obsession for Russian history. He seems to have been made to order just for Veronica, but can she trust that image of perfection? T h r e e women in three very different times are linked to one idea—that in August 1902, Alexandra did not have a miscarriage or hysterical pregnancy as history records, but actually had a fifth daughter who was hidden away. The three stories combine effortlessly, and while the results are somewhat predictable, it does bring a fresh approach to an old idea...now that science has disproved any possibility of Anastasia’s escape. I’m no expert to judge the accuracy of the history, but it was an enjoyable and intriguing read. Reviewed by Randy-Lynne Wach Up From the Grave (Night Huntress) By Jeaniene Frost Avon, $7.99, 384 pages Check this out! Up From the Grave the next entry in the Night Huntress series, starts fast and gains speed like a runaway train as it roars through the twists and turns of a heart stopping plot. Cat has already gone through the change to full vampire to stop the incipient war between ghouls and vampires. Then she learns that someone has collected and used her DNA, and she and Bones must act fast to prevent full scale war from erupting. Whoever this is must be stopped at all costs, but neither of them understands how deep those costs will cut. From the setting of earlier books at her former training site, to New Orleans

Vintage By Susan Gloss William Morrow, $25.99, 368 pages Check this out! V iolet Turner is living her lifelong dream by owning and operating Hourglass Vintage, a clothing shop. She knows the stories behind nearly every item she sells, and she enjoys getting to know the women who frequent her store. Some of those women include Amithi, a woman trying to deal with the discovery of a lengthy betrayal by her husband, and April, a pregnant teenager who is not sure what to do with herself now that her engagement has been called off. When Violet is suddenly faced with the possibility of losing her store forever, she draws on the help and friendship of these women and many others in order to save her dream. Vintage is, at its heart, a story of the strength of friendship. It has a colorful cast of characters, all with unique and engaging backgrounds, each with a distinctive storytelling voice. The setting of the vintage clothing store is charming, and will invite readers to settle in and stay for awhile as they wait for events to play out. This novel is a fun read, but one filled with real themes that readers will identify with. Reviewed by Holly Scudero Still Life With Bread Crumbs: A Novel By Anna Quindlen Random House, $26.00, 252 pages Check this out! Rebecca Winter is in the winter of her creative process. She has achieved celebrity by elevating marital tedium to an artistic level in her series of kitchen photographs, hence the title of the book. However, her celebrity is waning while the costs of her lifestyle become overwhelming. With the demands of parental and child support, she is forced to lease her beloved city apartment and sublet in the cheaper countryside. Unfortunately, the photographs of the rural cottage don’t seem to be truth in advertising, and Rebecca is left in a ramshackle and isolated

Tulsa Book Review • May 2014 • 10

cabin. Her demand ing agent browbeats her to produce. R eb e cc a’s memories of her marriage are much the same, with an arrogant British scholar for a husband who resents her fame and fortune and so trades her in on a younger wife. Her son, Ben, also chides her. She is beset on all sides by demands for payment of bills which rapidly accumulate while her money dwindles. She torments herself by calculating the demands for payment of bills, both unexpected and burdensome. In her rural retreat, she finds renewal in a series of forest images which are staged perfectly for dramatic and evocative photographs. Can this series restore her career and her finances? And what is the mystery behind her forest tableaus? Quindlen’s eighteenth book makes for enjoyable reading. Reviewed by Julia McMichael Havisham: A Novel By Ronald Frame Picador, $26.00, 368 pages Check this out! Miss Havisham is an enduring figure in British literature. Myster ious, bitter, and cruel, but ultimately pitiable, she stands out as one of Dickens’s most memorable characters. In Havisham, Ronald Frame sets out to explain this enigmatic woman: who she was when she was young and what happened to turn her into the angry recluse that we all love to hate. In this, he is mostly successful. The young Catherine is captivated by the luster of society, but surrounded by false friends. Despite her troubles, however, it is difficult to sympathize with her. Even as a girl, she is entitled, self-centered, and blind to the pain she inflicts upon others. The absolute triumph of this book is the language. Frame’s style is lyrical and poetic as he flits quickly between moments in Catherine’s story, giving the book the feel of a beautifully rendered memory. The modern prose contrasts nicely with the Victorian setting, and the juxtaposition makes the work feel enchanted. While Havisham doesn’t completely ex-

Fiction

Book Reviews plain the erratic behavior of its protagonist, it does serve to humanize her. Describing events before, during, and after those of Great Expectations, it serves as a wonderful companion to the classic, and it is absolutely gorgeous to read. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis Four Friends By Robyn Carr Harlequin MIRA, $14.95, 400 pages Check this out! Gerri always thought her marriage was solid, unshakeable. Then she discovers her husband had an affair years ago, and she just can’t come to terms with the anger she feels. Her best friends, likewise, are facing crises in their lives. Andy’s second marriage has just ended, and in the midst of the turmoil she finds herself drawn to an unlikely man, one

completely opposite of her usual standards. Sonja’s husband leaves her unexpectedly, claiming he’s done with her New Age stuff – the meditation, yoga, candles, and soothing music that her life revolves around. She has a mental breakdown and is not sure what will get her life back on track. And BJ, the fairly new, reserved neighbor, finds herself opening up to these new friends and changing their lives. In a fairly long, meandering novel whose plot is hard to accurately describe, Robyn Carr’s Four Friends is ultimately about four women discovering who they truly are and how their roles – as wives, moms, friends – fit together both personally and within their community. This is the kind of book to curl up with on a rainy day with a cup of tea: uplifting, inspirational, with a happy ending that only comes about through a good deal of strife and problems. Readers will identify with these women and root for them to each find their happily ever after. Reviewed by Holly Scudero

Fortune & Fame By Victoria Christopher Murray, ReShonda Tate Billingsley Touchstone, $15.00, 288 pages Check this out! Reality shows. Ooh! All that dirt, distrust and division! Who watches those hot beds of immora l it y and sin anyway? Us! You and me! We watch them, hanging on every word, glued to the television screen like stink on a stunk. Well, here’s a way to take it all to the next level – let’s stir up the lives of some women we love to hate, mix it all into the simmering pot of a reality show, and serve it deliciously steaming hot inside the pages of a book. Um, um good!! In Fortune and Fame, authors Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley pair two of the top First Ladies of Christendom: devilishly divine divas Jas-

mine Cox Larson Bush, and Rachel Jackson Adams. Offered the opportunity to star in a reality show, the First Ladies must fight back with full claws extended. Natashia Redding, the producer of the First Ladies reality show, is in hot pursuit of Jasmine’s husband, Hosea. First Lady Mary Richardson’s husband, Lester, is horrid. The dramatic fight for parental custody, for the sanctity of a marriage and the title of First Lady Extraordinaire is a no-holds-barred free-forall. Funny, brutal and outrageous, Fortune and Fame is a fabulous read. Reviewed by Alicia Latimer Fifteen Minutes: A Novel By Karen Kingsbury Howard Books, $22.99, 384 pages Check this out! If you’ve ever wondered what’s behind the scenes of American Idol, this book is your chance to find out. The story is centered around country superstar hopeful Zach Dylan, and we are provided a glimpse of what life would be like as a contestant on a popular singing competition. Zach is a devout Christian who promises his college sweetheart, Reese, that he won’t lose his values if he makes it to the big leagues through the television show Fifteen Minutes. As Zach soon finds out, however, compromis-

library

Gift shop

Help Tulsa City-County

THe GifT SHop feaTureS:

Library’s campaign to renovate the Central Library. Visit TulsaLibrary.org/giftshop for more information and to start shopping now.

• Special link to amazon.com • Library logo items from Café press • Libraries Change Lives T-shirt

Tulsa Book Review • May 2014 • 11

with friends membership

Book Reviews

ing his faith and his loved ones may be the only way to achieve his dream of becoming a country singer. On the judging panel is a former Fifteen Minutes star who also had to sacrifice herself for the sake of stardom. She reaches out to Zach, recognizing the position he is in, but will it be too late to redeem him? Though at times the novel felt too simple or far-fetched, I enjoyed it overall. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an easy and quick read that promotes positive morals, which I appreciate because it can be a hard-pressed attribute to find in books these days. Fifteen Minutes is a perfect read for anyone who just wants a light, feel-good story. Reviewed by Bailey Tulloch Mounting the Whale By Colleen McCarty Cloud Cover Press, $14.95, 258 pages Check this out! It only took five words. Five words to shake up the stagnant status quo of a dysfunctional family. Those five words, sent via text message, were, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cartel got me. Tell mom.â&#x20AC;? Upon receiving this notification, a young woman named Carlyle quickly sets out on a quest for Mexico along with her mother and two siblings, to rescue her older sister and perhaps strengthen the unstable bonds of her family unit along the way. What contributes most to the genuine charm of Colleen McCartyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debut novel Mounting the Whale is the excellent cast of characters. Theirs is excellence derived not from the fact that they are so good, but rather from the fact that they are so frightfully imperfect that they frankly come off as honest and human. Each character has his or her own critical moral shortcomings they must surmount, generally some form of selfishness. Indeed, all the characters that make up the Pierce family have supremely selfish tendencies, so readers will be fascinated to find out just how they are able to

Fiction

perform the selfless act of rescuing one of their own from a drug kingpin. Take main character Carlyle, for example. Her inner conflicts are explored throughout a majority of the narrative, especially her deep-seated desire to not grow up to be like her mother. Carlyle is so obsessed with escaping her motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shadow that she alienates her husband and drives him away with her coldness. Still, she is a kind and competent young woman, and perhaps the most overtly likable character. Her mother, Cybil, suffers from crippling loneliness that she can only alleviate by blindly pouring money into online gambling. However, Cybil at least attempts to be a supportive mother and is willing to gamble for the sake of her family when the right time comes. Overall, while the members of the Pierce family are certainly flawed, they are not altogether reprehensible. They are like real people. The same, however, cannot be said for the novelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s villains, who are eccentric to the point of being outright cartoonish in some instances. Luckily, this is forgivable, given the novelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tone. Mounting the Whale is a dramatic black comedy that seamlessly intersperses moments of mature insight with gut-busting hilarity. Other than the rushed resolution, it is a fine story, an admirable first effort from Colleen McCarty. Reviewed by Michael Albani And the Dark Sacred Night: A Novel By Julia Glass Pantheon, $26.95, 400 pages Check this out! In And The Dark Sacred Night, Julia Glass has outdone herself. Here, Glass starts with the simplest of threads: Kit Noonan sets out to learn his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s identity despite his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s refusal to help him. From this, Glass weaves a rich tapestry by slowly revealing the complicated stories of the large cast of characters surrounding Kit. Glass does much more than simply write an interesting story which seamlessly shifts from past to present and back, however. A master at her craft, Glass embellishes her work with details that make this work a joy for the discerning reader. A roof leak that ruins the wedding dress of a couple whose marriage is in trouble, a cranky parrot ironically named Felicity present at a tense family gathering, and a half-fallen tree threatening the house during a storm at that same

gathering are but a few examples of the evident care Glass takes with her work. Furthermore, those familiar with Glassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; earlier work, The Three Junes, may be pleasantly surprised to recognize certain characters from the earlier work. And The Dark Sacred Night is a novel not to be missed. Reviewed by Annie Peters Fourth of July Creek: A Novel By Smith Henderson Ecco, $26.99, 480 pages Check this out! Pete Snow is a social worker who works with families in a small town in Montana. When he encounters Benjamin Pearlâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a wild, seemingly neglected eleven-year-oldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; he is compelled to do what he can to help. Helping Benjamin means dealing with his father, Jeremiahâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a somewhat delusional, distrusting, disturbed man who has been living off the grid with his family for years while waiting for a disaster they believe is imminent. As Pete begins to gain the trust of the Pearls, Jeremiah attracts the notice of the FBI, and the manhunt that ensues will leave everyone changed. Meanwhile, Pete has to continue to work with other damaged

families, all while his own family life falls apart. At the risk of sounding like everyone else who has had the privilege of reading Fourth of July Creek, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to believe that this is Smith Hendersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first full-length novel. Henderson has created characters who are so outlandish that you can readily believe they truly exist, and has created a story that will seem fully plausible to anyone who knows anything about conspiracy theorists, or about people who live in a state of preparation for the collapse of society as we know it, or even just about small towns and the people who sometimes populate them. Read this novel; you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t regret it. Reviewed by Holly Scudero

Looking for even MORE book reviews? BOOK AND GAME REVIEWS

WRITING TIPS AND ARTICLES

AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

San Francisco

231

REVIEWS INSIDE

NaNoWriMo

FIND YOUR next FAVORITE BOOK TO READ

The Creature Department Q&A

Creating Characters Readers Love to Hate "** < " 0"CC

Dr ms of Unmann a e

NOVEMBER 2013 COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL ROBISON

BOOK AND GAME REVIEWS

WRITING TIPS AND ARTICLES

INSIDE:

An Interview With Supernatural Thriller Author, Sire Cedric Badredhead Says... How Much Can Indie Authors Realistically Make? Interview with Matthew Krajewski, author of Modern Magic: Reclaiming Your Magical Heritage

AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

The only U.S. book review magazine app for your iPad, Android tablet, and Kindle Fire. From the magazine pages: Watch video book trailers View pages of the book Interactive ads

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL ROBISON

Tulsa Book Review â&#x20AC;˘ May 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 12

Subscribe: bit.ly/YdEAOq

Book Reviews

Forgiving the Angel: Four Stories for Franz Kafka By Jay Cantor Knopf, $24.95, 224 pages Check this out! Forgiving the Angel is a compilation of four stories relating to Franz Kafka, and based on a real circle of people who were deeply connected to the writer, but you do not have to be familiar with Kafka’s writing in order to enjoy this work of fiction. It is an interesting read in this regard, because the book as a whole is very cohesive. We meet Max Brod, a good friend of Kafka’s, who was asked to be Kafka’s “literary executioner” and burn all of his unpublished manuscripts, and Dora Diamant, Kafka’s one great love. We also meet Lusk Lask, Dora’s second husband, and their daughter Marianne, both of whom find themselves obsessed with the struggle of living under his shadow. The last story introduces us to a woman named Milena, who was deeply affected by Kafka after their affair and truly understood his “fear of the flesh”. All four stories were very moving and haunting in the way Kafka’s ghost, which he so adamantly believed in, afflicted everyone involved. It was an interesting look into how these characters lived during the era of internment camps in World War II Europe. Jay Cantor describes as much as the reader needs to know about the writer Franz Kafka for the context of this book. This is another one I’m happy to add to my favorites list. Reviewed by Lenna Stites Dept. of Speculation By Jenny Offill Knopf, $22.95, 179 pages Check this out! This is a highly original novel since it is composed of fragments which somehow are weaved into a story of marriage and betrayal. Since the likelihood of marital success in the United States if no better than fifty/fifty, this angry book should resonate with many women who find themselves cast off in favor of a newer, younger model. In

Fiction

this story, there is also a beloved yet colicky child who is in the mix, engendering ambiguous feelings in the jilted wife. To add insult to injury, the apartment becomes infested by bedbugs, forcing the wife to a life encased in plastic. This is a book which has poetic writing in pieces of quotations, remembrances and longing. Much like a written treatment of Ingmar Bergman’s film, Scenes from a Marriage, there are shards of memories, hopes, and literary allusions. The wife in the book is struggling to write a novel during this turmoil while her husband seems freed of this type of struggle. “That night my husband complains that I’m working too much. He grumbles about the overflowing trash and the out-of-season fruit rotting in the fridge. I clean out all the moldy things and empty all the trash cans.” This hum drum sacrificial existence will resonate with all the “wives” who find burdens and endless tasks in their less-than-fairytale marriages. Reviewed by Julia McMichael Claire of the Sea Light By Edwidge Danticat Knopf, $25.95, 256 pages Check this out! The story begins on Claire’s seventh birthday, and it begins with a death. As the town of Ville Rose joins together to first help find and then mourn the loss of Caleb, an old fisherman, Claire goes missing. Though Claire’s disappearance offers suspense throughout the book, it does not provide the main narrative thrust of the story. Instead, Danticat uses Claire as a jumping off point to describe pivotal moments in the lives of various inhabitants of the town. As we learn about these people’s stories, their triumphs and tragedies, we can slowly see the connections between them. Through these individuals, an entire town is fleshed out and made real. Danticat’s writing is transportive. I have never been to Haiti, but, because of her stories, I can close my eyes and see, smell, hear, and live Ville Rose. She brings the same level of detail and animation to her characters, and they all become intensely real. It is impossible to read Claire of the Sea Light and not experience heartache on behalf of Nozias, who only wants the best for his daughter, Gaëlle, who both gained and lost so much on a single day, and many others.

Even the minor characters are painted so vividly that they leave an impact. Danticat is an immensely talented author, and this is an immensely rich and powerful book. I cannot recommend it enough. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis Before I Burn By Gaute Heivoll, Don Bartlett (translator) Graywolf Press, $26.00, 336 pages Check this out! Before I Burn by Gaute Heivoll is a fascinating novel that explores a community under siege. Fires are taking homes, and at first the flames appear accidenta l. Then a Norwegian village in the Finsland region tries to cope with the unexplainable: an arsonist. Gaute Heivoll, a winner of the prestigious Brage Prize in

Norwegian literature, has based his novel on true events. His lyric storytelling is indelible and chilling, especially the different points of view he uses—telling the reader of people escaping and watching as their house burns, leaving only the chimney. Heivoll tells the story, interchanging a personal first person point of view with the prism of others’ suffering. But Heivoll depicts more than just the victims. He tells of the arsonist as he’s setting the fires. His style of writing is spare, succinct, and telling: The cap on the jerry can was stuck, and he tussled with it until he managed to get it loose. And a few beats later, Just the sound of gushing petrol. His hands and arms went numb as he emptied the rest of the can into the dark hallway. Heivoll has written an original and captivating read. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey

Mango is an online languagelearning system that can help you learn languages like:

• Spanish • French • Japanese • Brazilian powered by

• • •

Choose from nearly 40 languages and learn by listening to native speakers and engaging in the interactive lessons offered through this user-friendly language instruction tool. Visit TulsaLibrary.org/language and use your Tulsa City-County Library card to access Mango Languages.

Tulsa Book Review • May 2014 • 13

• • • • • •

Portuguese German Mandarin Chinese English as a Second Language Greek Italian Russian Hebrew Thai Vietnamese

Book Reviews Category

Cookbooks SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Land of the Five Flavors: A Cultural History of Chinese Cuisine By Thomas O. Hollmann, Karen Margolis (translator) Columbia University Press, $30.00, 216 pages Check this out! The Land of the Five Flavors is a curious crosscultural text: this edition is an English t r a n s l at i o n of a German text that speaks about the social history of Chinese food. I’m still wrapping my head around this language puzzle. How far removed is the translation from the culture being discussed? Did they use existing English translations of ancient Chinese sources, which are quoted in sidebars throughout the book? Did they translate everything afresh? I wish the publishers reassured readers like me with a note on their translation process. Setting aside these questions though, this book provides an amazing analysis of China’s culinary obsessions. With regional recipes interspersed with illustrations and the occasional statistical chart, Chinese food is put under a microscope. Everything from noodle production, historical food prices, and cannibalism is covered. My favorite chapter is the one on alcohol. Booze and its effect on Tang period literature made me laugh. It’s all heady, heavy stuff. Since it’s an academic text, the book is occasionally bogged down with its precise and pedantic language. This isn’t easy-to-read nonfiction. For those who are up to the challenge, though, The Land of the Five Flavors is both rewarding and illuminating. Reviewed by Rachel Anne Calabia

Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room: Southern Recipes From the Winningest Woman in Barbecue By Melissa Cookston Andrews McMeel Publishing, $22.99, 192 pages Check this out! Author Me l i s s a Cookston, winner of many barbecue competitions, presents a delicious guide for your own amazing cookouts. Written with the home cook in mind, it also presents tips for competition smoking if the reader feels so inclined. Cookston gives recipes to start everything from scratch, from basic rubs and sauces to make-it-yourself bacon(!); she uses these basics as a starting point for her wonderful finished meats, including pork, beef, poultry, and even seafood and lamb. She explains her preferences for smoking with different woods for different flavors, why she uses certain seasonings in different dishes, and talks you through preparation from start to finish in clear, easy-to-understand and -follow directions, and a friendly tone that makes even a novice like myself feel up to the task. Some more difficult techniques are illustrated by step-by-step photos. Recipes include Baby Back Ribs, Pork Tamales, Beef Brisket, Pastrami, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Smoked Chicken, Fried Catfish, and BBQ Shrimp with Grits, among many others. To round out the meals, recipes for sides and desserts include iconic southern dishes such as Coleslaw, Turnip Greens, Corn Bread, and Fried Green Tomatoes, and Bread Pudding and Mississippi Mud Pie. Full-color pictures are mouthwatering. This is an excellent introduction to the delicious world of southern barbecue! Reviewed by Gretchen Wagner

Kitchen Confidence: Essential Recipes and Tips That Will Help You Cook Anything By Kelsey Nixon Clarkson Potter, $19.99, 224 pages Check this out! For a beginner, even intermediate home cook, Kitchen Confidence is an excellent choice. Kelsey Nixon did a very nice job to review anything you need for your pantry, as kitchen equipment and a reference page for the ten most common kitchen techniques that appear elsewhere in her cookbook. The recipes are good, easy to follow, laid out for the convenience of the cook (mostly no page turning necessary) with good writing and informative head notes. Each recipe states prep and cooking time. Prep times are much underestimated for the average home cook (apple pie in thirty minutes including dough preparation?). You can double, even triple the given times if you consider chopping, slicing, mincing and other prep work before you can start actual cooking. The list of recipes on the first page of each chapter is useful for a quick search for ideas. There are many good hints throughout such as “working with yeast dough,” “quick pickling.” The recipes range from simple basics (cream scones, biscuits, deviled eggs) to somewhat more complex (Greek shrimp and orzo salad, cod on papillote) to unusual (fried pickles). Nixon also gives variations on recipes and for most nice photo illustrations. The index is very good. Reviewed by George Erdosh Homemade Condiments: Artisan Recipes Using Fresh, Natural Ingredients By Jessica Harlan Ulysses Press, $19.95, 128 pages Check this out! So you love fresh, homemade food, right? Burgers, chicken, stir-fry... but, what about the sauce? If you go to the (eminently worthwhile) trouble of making a dish just the way you like it, wouldn’t it be worth the trouble to make your own condiments, too? Homemade Condiments helps you avoid unwanted additives while adjusting heat or spice to your own preferences in such basics as Classic Ketchup, Tomato- or Mustard-based Barbeque Sauce, Smooth Yellow or Honey Mustard, and even mayonnaise. For the more adventurous, the author offers various hot sauces and infused oils, such as Key-lime Jalepeno sauce or Roasted Garlic Olive Oil.

Tulsa Book Review • May 2014 • 14

Sections on quick pickles (including instructions for she l f- st able pre s e r v i n g , if desired), salad dressings, and specialty condiments are also included; sweet and dessert sauces (and a recipe to make your own peanut butter!) complete the book. The recipes are straightforward; many use only a few ingredients, most (if not all) of which you probably already have in your well-stocked kitchen. Some, like the ketchup, take more time to cook, but little time to prep. The author helpfully includes suggestions for use and storage, and the format is easy to read and attractive, with the ingredient list clearly indicated. With its fun and exciting recipes, Homemade Condiments kicks your already-great home cooking up to the next level. Reviewed by Gretchen Wagner Gluten-Free Pasta: More Than 100 Fast and Flavorful Recipes With Low- and No-Carb Options By Robin Asbell Running Press, $20.00, 216 pages Check this out! So many people are finding it helpful to be gluten-f ree these days that there are many books on the market, but this one is pretty special. Perhaps the hardest thing to give up on a gluten-free lifestyle is pasta. This book not only has gluten-free recipes, but many of them are low- and no-carb options as well. Chef Robin Asbell begins with a very informational discussion of the reasons people may choose or need to avoid gluten. She then has a helpful section on setting up a gluten-free pantry with great suggestions for replacements for traditional pasta. And then the recipes begin. There are more than a hundred inventive, creative, delicious recipes arranged in seven sections: Fresh Pastas, Sauces, Appetizers, Cold Noodles and Pasta Salads, Hot Noodles and Pastas, Baked Pastas, and Soups. The book is liberally illustrated with full-page, mouth-watering color photographs of many of the delicious dishes one can create. The recipes in this attractive book are fresh, fun, and simple enough for anyone to have gluten-free success in his or her home. One doesn’t have to give up great eating when choosing a gluten-free lifestyle. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck

Book Reviews

Cookbooks

Cooking Light Global Kitchen: The World’s Most Delicious Food Made Easy By David Joachim Oxmoor House, $29.95, 320 pages Check this out! Here is a truly international cookbook with some hundred and fifty recipes from all corners of the globe. And since Global Kitchenwas commissioned by Cooking Light magazine, the recipes are assured to be on the light side. David Joachim and his publisher did an admirable job with this cookbook. It’s excellent, and so is the gorgeous production. Joachim divided the world of foods into six sections, presenting the recipes according to this scheme. The recipes are laid out nicely on single pages, each is illustrated, some with small thumbnail photos teaching us techniques. The recipe writing is very good, easy to follow, and ingredients are mostly easily available, though other sources carrying international ingredients are essential. The head notes are worth reading. Each recipe states hands-on time and total time. Most cookbook authors grossly underestimate hands-on time for the average home cook. Joachim’s given times are realistic though still a bit on the short side. Full nutritional information follows each recipe. Professional photo illustrations are great. Many short, informative food-related essays are scattered throughout—they are equally good (Midday Meal; Personalize your Plate), and there are also many good quotes from food writers and cookbooks. The index is well cross-referenced. Reviewed by George Erdosh Better Homes and Gardens Fresh Grilling: 200 Delicious Good-for-You Seasonal Recipes By Better Homes and Gardens Better Homes & Gardens, $19.99, 288 pages Check this out! Hardly anything says American summer more than the smoky aroma of a charcoal grill, and the hiss of vegetables and meat searing on hot irons. Grilling is one of the most ancient methods of cooking, but it’s one of those techniques that faded from our repertoire with the advent of electric and gas kitchen appliances. Revive your ancestral

heritage and prepare yourself for a year of splendor from the grill with the complete education provided in this book! Everything we need for a full, seasonal, produce-focused meal, from rubs and marinades to beverages and appetizers, main vegetarian dishes to omnivore meat platters, salads and desserts and even recipes for smoking in 30 minutes or less. Port-Glazed Grilled Porterhouse Salad sits alongside Grilled Endive, Apple and Bacon Pizza. Steak and Herb Tacos compete with a Greek Chicken Salad and creamy yogurt dressing, and to close the meal, Grilled Tropical Fruit and Cast-Iron brownies bring a touch of sweetness! True to form, the book opens with a moderate education on various types of grills and methods for beginners, and closes with a quick, handy reference guide for learning to select and use produce at the peak of perfection. The only thing missing here is a pair of tongs! Reviewed by Andrea Huehnerhoff Quilting, cont’d from page 5 modern fabric prints and color schemes and utilizes trad itiona l quilt designs in fresh ways. Several books have been published on modern quilting, but Rachel May’s volume is one of the best so far. A rich collection of features on over seventy modern quilters, this book is chock full of beautiful photographs of pieced and quilted projects. The interviewees include some of the big names of modern quilting, including quilt designers Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr, and fabric designers Kaffe Fassett and Anna Maria Horner, as well as a sprinkling of fresh voices. This book is more focused on inspiration than how-to, but nine quilt projects are included, as well as some general tips on quitting and piecing techniques. Whether you define yourself as a modern quilt maker, reject that label, or are new to the art of quilts, you can find inspiration and encouragement in this volume. Reviewed by Laura Tarwater Scharp Fake ID, cont’d from page 9 cide, but Nick and Eli’s sister, Reyna, know it isn’t, and they intend to find out what happened and who did it. Terrible things start happening around them and to them. Eli is not the only one to die. This debut novel by Lamar Giles is full of tension and mystery with lots of twists, turns, and dead ends. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck

Tulsa Book Review • May 2014 • 15

Storytime in the Park

THURSDAYS • 10 A.M. May 29; June 5, 12,19, 26

QuikTrip Plaza at River Parks 41st and Riverside Questionable weather? Call 918-549-7323.

Join the READING ROADSHOW for stories and songs in the park. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair. Afterward, cool off in the splash pad.

FEATURING GUEST PERFORMANCES BY:

MAY 29 • Tommy Terrific’s Magic of Science JUNE 5 • Music and Dance With Andrés Salguero JUNE 12 • Lucky Diaz & The Family Jam Band JUNE 19 • American Indian Dances and Storytelling With Mike and Lisa Pahsetopah JUNE 26 • Vaudeville Magic Show With Chris Capstone

Free and Open to the Public • TulsaLibrary.org • 2014