Who Wrote It Better? Hillbilly Elegy and White Trash
Last year’s notable “twin books” were Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance and White Trash: the Secret 400-Year History of Poverty in America by Nancy Isenberg. The first is a memoir and the second a volume of history, but both examine the plight of poor and working-class whites in America. Hillbilly Elegy has been on the NYT Bestseller list for 39 weeks now, along with making the rounds in media and landing on several lists that purport to explain Trump’s successful run for president to those who thought a Clinton victory was in the bag.
Cheryl Strayed
Author Cheryl Strayed has been an inspiration of mine since I first read Wild, her memoir about the challenges and grief of her young life and her subsequent solo journey … Continued
New Locally Produced Title: Juniata, River of Sorrows
LBPH is proud to a share a new locally produced title available for loan or download from BARD. Juniata, River of Sorrows: One Man’s Journey Into a River’s Tragic Past … Continued
Happy Star Wars Day from CLP!
Celebrate Star Wars Day by having a retrospective of the films of Rian Johnson, the director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
The Troubled Girl Named Marlena
Cat, her mother and her older brother, Jimmy, move to Silver Lake, Michigan, after their parents’ divorce. It’s an extremely small town with basically nothing to do. Based on descriptions in the book it doesn’t sound like a place that anybody would want to move to. At some point in the book, Cat’s mom says that she wanted to move as far away from where they were living because everyone knew why the divorce happened. In the beginning of the book, Cat meets Marlena. She is her next door neighbor. Cat is fascinated with her and wants to be her friend.
Bill O’Reilly’s Killing the Rising Sun
For fans of Bill O’Reilly’s Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan (DB85755), check out these books about the Pacific War that contain stories from the … Continued
Cartoons for Adults
Are you an adult who loves cartoons? There are plenty of children’s cartoons that adults can enjoy, but today I want to talk about animated TV shows meant just for grown-ups. Cartoons can be just as engaging as live-action shows, and the format allows them to do things other shows can’t. Most are comedies, but even those can include strong character development and ongoing story lines that beg to be binge watched.
A Basic Gal’s Guide to Jane Austen: Persuasion
I am doing my own version of The Jane Austen Book Club. Yes – I took my inspiration from a romantic comedy (it was a book first). Just chalk it up to another symptom of my basic status. One Austen book a month for six months so I can read all of her major novels. In random order, the first book is…Persuasion. So let’s dive in, basic girl style.
Screen-free Fun
May 1st through 7th is Screen-free Week! Why not encourage your child to enjoy a few days with no TV, computer or tablet?
Will Trade Pittsburgh Books for Room and Board
Three books that I’m gifting to my Airbnb host in California. Because books are fun for everyone!