Comments for BPL Genre Study

Comment on “The Art of Happiness” by the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D. by Judi

Judi — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:32:43 +0000

I read this book last summer after seeing the Dalai Lama speak at the University of Northern Iowa. I made some changes in my life based on what I read–a very powerful book!

Comment on Help yourself! by Hedy

Hedy — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:15:48 +0000

I’m responsible for both the Dewey 100s where the self-help books are located and the Dewey 200s where the religion and spirituality books are located in the Bettendorf Public Library. They are both very popular areas. I am almost finished going through the 100s book by book to see if I can “weed” any out of the collection and also discover any areas where it needs updating. I am amazed that a very high percentage of the books have been checked out within the last two years. It is obvious that patrons are searching for guidance and inspiration. Hopefully, this week in our nonfiction genre study we’ll be able to suggest some titles that will strike a chord. If any of you have suggestions yourselves for adding to our collection, please let us know!

Comment on Whodunnit? Reading True Crime by Barb R

Barb R — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:37:37 +0000

Another classic is “Helter Skelter” by Vincent Bugliosi. It’s about Charles Manson and the murders his “family” committed in California in 1969.
(Bettendorf Library’s copy is missing but will be replaced soon.)

Comment on Whodunnit? Reading True Crime by hhustedde

hhustedde — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:33:26 +0000

For historical true crime that took place in Iowa, try “Villisca: The True Account of the Unsolved 1912 Mass Murder that Stunned the Nation” by Roy Marshall IOWA 364-1523 MA

That crime influenced the making of two movies: “Villisca: Living with a Mystery” DVD 364.1523 VI a documentary feature by Fourth Wall Films of Moline, Illinois. This film is based on historical research by Edgar V. Epperly. “When an entire family is wiped out by an axe-wielding killer on a June evening in 1912, a small Midwestern community spirals into chaos.”

The second film is “Haunting Villisca” DVD HORROR HAUNTING which is fictional but inspired by the true story of Iowa’s historic Villisca axe murders and the actual paranormal investigations there.

Finally, don’t forget probably our area’s most notorious crime: “Dead Water: The Klindt Affair” by Pat Gipple and Matthew Clemens IOWA 364.1523 GI

Comment on Hedy’s suggestions for TRAVEL nonfiction by Carin

Carin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:25:20 +0000

Thanks for the recommendations Hedy! I will def. put “A Walk in the Woods” on my list of books to read.

My all time favorite travel book is “Around the World in Eighty Days” By Jules Vernes. I know it is fiction but it is a classic. If you haven’t read it, I highly suggest it. Its a short read and sucked me in on the first page.

There is another book that I suggest that is nonfiction. “Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes” is a great book about the Amazon. Happy reading

Comment on Let’s talk about Bill Bryson, shall we? by Karri

Karri — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:20:04 +0000

I think you may be right about the generational aspect of “Thunderbolt Kid.” My mom and I both read it and she enjoyed it much more than I did. The above comments make me want to attempt one of his travel commentaries though.

Comment on Hedy’s suggestions for TRAVEL nonfiction by Crystal

Crystal — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 16:47:19 +0000

Blue Highways seems like just the type of book that I would like to read. I often get sucked into television shows like Globetrekker and have thought it would be fun to have them trek through lesser known areas of the U.S. It appears this book would fill that niche perfectly.

Comment on Hedy suggests food and orchids by Hedy

Hedy — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 01:32:04 +0000

Thanks for commenting, Anna! I really love Michael Pollan’s work. Not only are the issues he addresses important to me, but he writes in a very engaging manner. If you enjoy Pollan, I just checked on our online reader’s advisory database (NoveList Plus) and read-alikes for Pollan include Eric Schlosser and Mark Kurlansky.

Comment on Hedy suggests food and orchids by Anna K

Anna K — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:08:55 +0000

In Defense of Food is going on my to read list. We need to get away from all of the pre-processed foods our society eats and back to simple and fresh.

Comment on Prepare To Be Blinded By Science! by Barb R

Barb R — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:23:41 +0000

Another great book in the science genre is Mary Roach’s “Packing for Mars”. The author investigate space travel – every aspect of it – in a humorous and informative way.