Library Minute

sponsored by the

Fr. Michael Goetz Resource Centre

November 2011

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell	Blink by Malcolm Gladwell I love fiction because it introduces me to situations and ideas I might never encounter in my day to day life surround by my friends and family who tend to share my views and values.  Fiction challenges me to complete two of the most important words for people who like to think.  These words are What if… But non-fiction, really good nonfiction can captivate the curious individual as well.  I think that this writer, whose book I am about to review, addresses this question so well in the twenty-first century, that I purchased all of his books for our library.  For staff and students who are as intrigued by human psychology as much as I am, this book will not disappoint.  It is about the potential for human beings to intercept and analyze information very rapidly and come to decisions very quickly.  The author calls it “thin slicing” and applies it to so many things in life, ranging from how musicians succeed in business, to how car salespeople earn so much or so little money to how generals win or lose wars and how people choose and keep their mates.  It is a terrific book.  The author is Malcolm Gladwell and the book is called Blink.  Check it out.  This Library minute has been brought to you by the FMG Resource Centre. Nov 2nd, 2011; Recommended by Ms. Cosgrove.
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller	The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller It has been ten years since the last sighting of the Batman.  Gotham has descended into a dark dystopian future where roaming gangs control the crime ridden city.  The citizens are frozen with fear at the brutality that has arisen in the Dark Knight’s absence.  It is the return of an old enemy that prompts Bruce Wayne to come out of retirement and don the famous garb of the Caped Crusader.  Batman quickly realizes exactly how much has changed in the city he has sworn to protect as allies such as the police department, the government and even Superman himself no longer accept or support his brand of justice.  Can the Batman overcome these odds in Frank Miller’s magnum opus The Dark Knight Returns.  If you enjoyed Frank Miller’s other works such as Sin City or The 300, see where it all started with his dark and gritty interpretation of the Batman. Check it out.  This Library Minute has been brought to you by the FMG Resource Centre. Nov 9, 2011; Recommend by Mr. Zablocki.
One Day by David Nicholls	One Day by David Nicholls Once in a while you encounter a book where you really, really care about the characters and what happens to them.  It’s like you’re the cheerleader and they’re your team.  This book was like that.  We meet two people who get together romantically on the night of their graduation from university.  Then they go off find other partners, other jobs, other places to live but always end up being in contact with each other.  It is a kind of British version of When Harry Met Sally and has been made into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.  I have to tell you I could not put the book down.  For forty-eight hours, all I could think about was whether Dexter and Emma would finally get together. Do they? You’ll have to read it to find out.  Oh! I forgot to mention – the book was so funny, the dialogue so hilarious that I found myself actually laughing out loud.  The book is called One Day and it’s by David Nicholls.  Check it out.  This Library minute has been brought to you by the FMG Resource Centre. Nov. 16, 2011; Recommended by Ms. Cosgrove.
When God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman	When God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman This book is about a mother and sister and how secrets can change a life.  It’s also about how things and people aren’t always what they appear to be and how this phenomenon can be the source of both wonderful surprises and deep tragedies.  Into this mix is thrown a pet rabbit named God and a quirky little girl named Jenny Penny.  I loved this book for so many reasons and if I had to pick one it would be that the characters, while being very strange, were at the same time very real to me. The dialogue was the way people talk, at least the people I want to meet.  Although this is a first novel for the author, it came as no surprise to me that she has made her living at script writing.  So much of the book hinges on the belief that “Nothing stays forgotten for long” derived from the fossilized impression of a prehistoric insect found in the centre of a piece of slate and symbolized in renewed relationships and even lives throughout the story.  This book makes me wish that I was a writer and I can’t recommend it enough.  It’s called When God Was A Rabbit and it’s by Sarah Winman.  Check it out.  This Library Minute has been brought to you by the FMG Resource Centre. Nov. 23, 2011; Recommended by Ms. Cosgrove.
Miss Peregrine's House for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs	Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs It is often said that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and while I agree with the statement as a metaphor guarding us against hasty decisions about people, I disagree, somewhat with the statement as it applies to literature.  This novel was written for high school level students but has gained great popularity among an adult readership for many reasons.  Its intriguing cover introduced a horror story that had me going to sleep with the lights on until I figured out that it might be a better idea to read it during daylight hours.  It focuses on a group of time traveler children who live under the care of a crow in a mansion.  A teenage boy from the future disrupts their idyllic life in a war that will pit the good and brave against the evil and souless.  What’s really neat about the book is that the author created a story around hundreds of vintage photographs he collected from the last hundred years and these really strange black and white snap shots become touchstones for the readers as they follow the novel’s plot.  It didn’t surprise me that there was a studio war over the movie rights to this book and I’m really looking forward to the film’s release.  Before I am tempted to tell you too much about the book and ruin the surprise I’ll say that the author is Ransom Riggs and the book is called Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.  Check it out.  This Library Minute has been brought to you by the FMG Resource Centre. Nov 30, 2011; Recommended by Ms. Cosgrove.