Tuesday, October 02, 2018

Waiting to Read Wednesday (#17)



The Old(er) 
I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!


When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
(Knopf, 2002)
On a sunny day in Berkeley, California, in 1942, a woman sees a sign in a post office window, returns to her home, and matter-of-factly begins to pack her family's possessions. Like thousands of other Japanese Americans they have been reclassified, virtually overnight, as enemy aliens and are about to be uprooted from their home and sent to a dusty internment camp in the Utah desert.

In this lean and devastatingly evocative first novel, Julie Otsuka tells their story from five flawlessly realized points of view and conveys the exact emotional texture of their experience: the thin-walled barracks and barbed-wire fences, the omnipresent fear and loneliness, the unheralded feats of heroism.
When the Emperor Was Divine is a work of enormous power that makes a shameful episode of our history as immediate as today's headlines. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read it: This is a novel of a part of American history that must not be forgotten. It sounds like an emotional and poignant novel, and one I must read.


What's a Ghoul to Do? (Ghost Hunter Mystery #1) by Victoria Laurie
(Berkley, 2007)
M.J., her partner Gilley, and their client, the wealthy, de-lish Dr. Steven Sable, are at his family's lodge, where his grandfather allegedly jumped to his death from the roof-although Sable says it was foul play. But the patriarch's isn't the only ghost around. The place is lousy with souls, all with something to get off their ghoulish chests. Now M.J. will have to to quell the clamor-and listen for a voice with the answers... [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read it: I do not know much about this series other than it sounds like it will be a lot of fun. A ghost hunter cozy? Sounds perfect for this upcoming Halloween, doesn't it?






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The New
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.


The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Release Date: October 16, 2018 by Simon Schuster
Susan Orlean, hailed as a “national treasure” by The Washington Post and the acclaimed bestselling author of Rin Tin Tin and The Orchid Thief, reopens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, and delivers a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution—our libraries.

On the morning of April 29, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. As the moments passed, the patrons and staff who had been cleared out of the building realized this was not the usual false alarm. As one fireman recounted later, “Once that first stack got going, it was Goodbye, Charlie.” The fire was disastrous: It reached 2,000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 more. Investigators descended on the scene, but over thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who?

Weaving her life-long love of books and reading with the fascinating history of libraries and the sometimes-eccentric characters who run them, award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean presents a mesmerizing and uniquely compelling story as only she can. With her signature wit, insight, compassion, and talent for deep research, she investigates the legendary Los Angeles Public Library fire to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives. To truly understand what happens behind the stacks, Orlean visits the different departments of the LAPL, encountering an engaging cast of employees and patrons and experiencing alongside them the victories and struggles they face in today’s climate. She also delves into the evolution of libraries across the country and around the world, from a metropolitan charitable initiative to a cornerstone of national identity. She reflects on her childhood experiences in libraries; studies arson and the long history of library fires; attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and she re-examines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the library over thirty years ago. Along the way, she reveals how these buildings provide much more than just books—and that they are needed now more than ever.

Filled with heart, passion, and unforgettable characters, The Library Book is classic Susan Orlean, and an homage to a beloved institution that remains a vital part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country and culture. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read it: A book that is sure to appeal to a book lover--and especially the library lover. 


Melmoth by Sarah Perry
Release Date: October 16, 2018 by Harper Collins
For centuries, the mysterious dark-robed figure has roamed the globe, searching for those whose complicity and cowardice have fed into the rapids of history’s darkest waters—and now, in Sarah Perry’s breathtaking follow-up to The Essex Serpent, it is heading in our direction.

It has been years since Helen Franklin left England. In Prague, working as a translator, she has found a home of sorts—or, at least, refuge. That changes when her friend Karel discovers a mysterious letter in the library, a strange confession and a curious warning that speaks of Melmoth the Witness, a dark legend found in obscure fairy tales and antique village lore. As such superstition has it, Melmoth travels through the ages, dooming those she persuades to join her to a damnation of timeless, itinerant solitude. To Helen it all seems the stuff of unenlightened fantasy.

But, unaware, as she wanders the cobblestone streets Helen is being watched. And then Karel disappears. . . . [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read it: I have a copy of The Essex Serpent sitting on my shelf to read, but haven't yet read it. I cannot help but add this one to my wish list, however. The premise fascinates me--a mysterious letter and an old legend are sure signs that trouble is to come.


Do any of these books appeal to you? Have you read them?

© 2018, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

40 comments:

  1. What's a Ghoul To Do sounds fun. :)

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    1. Greg - Doesn't it? I bet it will be a quick read too if I would just pick it up and read it!

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  2. Oooh! Great picks! I like the sound of What's a Ghoul to Do!

    Here’s my WoW!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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  3. What's a Ghoul to do sounds sooo much fun! The Library Book is the other in this selection that sounds so interesting -- I mean she's taken a library fire and just got so much bigger about libraries out of it.

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    1. Verushka - I think it sounds fun too! I am anxious to read The Library Book. It sounds wonderful.

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  4. I love books about books, so that definitely appeals to me. I hope you have a great read! And for Melmoth, I also have that coming up soon!

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  5. When the Emperor was Divine and Melmouth sound fantastic! I've read a little about the Japanese internment camps during WWII two so this sounds like something right up my alley.

    I also just read The Library Book! I've never been to the libraries in the US but I see the same magic that I do in the libraries here(:

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    1. Eustacia - Having grown up mostly in California where the Japanese internment camps were a part of our history lessons, I was really surprised as I got older to know not many Americans knew about them. I am glad to see that has changed over the years.

      I am eager to read The Library Book!

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  6. I've read a few books in the Victoria Laurie series and you are right, they are fun. I totally recommend them.

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    1. Barb - I am glad to hear you enjoy the Victoria Laurie series. I hope I will too. :-)

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  7. Of course, The Library Book looks good to me!

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  8. The Library Book sounds wonderful! And I used to read Victoria Laurie, but my library stopped getting them. I should track down the ones I haven't read; she was always entertaining.

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    1. Lark (Bookwyrm) - It's a long running series, isn't it? I have had the first one on my shelf forever. I really need to try it. I am excited about The Library Book!

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  9. Melmoth sounds kind of awesome! And I've always wanted to read When the Emperor was Divine. :)

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  10. No question -- THE LIBRARY BOOK definitely appeals to me :)

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    1. Donna Marie - So far I have been hearing good things about The Library Book. Hopefully it will be as good as it sounds.

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  11. What's a Ghoul to Do? sounds like a book that I would really enjoy. The Library Book also sounds really good. I hope you enjoy all of these when you do get the chance to read them.

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    1. Carole - It sounds fun, doesn't it? Thank you, Carole. I hope I will too!

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  12. Good picks, especially the forthcoming titles. They're both on my wish list.

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    1. Catherine - I hope you enjoy them when you get to them!

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  13. I have not read any of these, but I have been seeing The Library Book around and I'm really curious about that one!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  14. totally agree that that's of our history we should never forget so the same mistakes are not repeated. Thanks for putting "When the Emperor Was Divine" on your list. I A MUST READ!

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    1. Daniela - I agree! I hope we never do repeat that part of our history. Some days I worry about us though . . .

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  15. What's A Ghoul to do sounds like a cute read. I've been nothing but a steady diet of darkness and could use a little fluffy in my life soon.

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    1. Laurie - I think so too. Perfect for this time of year to add between those darker reads!

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  16. The Victoria Laurie was just recommended to me today. What a coincidence.

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    1. Sophia Rose - What a coincidence! Maybe this means you should give the series a try. :-)

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  17. What's a Ghoul to Do? - I love this title if not the pink cover. Melmoth also sounds good and who can resist a book with library in the title? Talk about leading me into temptation.

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    1. Tracy - I hope you enjoy whichever of these (if any) you decide to give a try!

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  18. You can read Melmoth without reading The Essex Serpent. When I knew the publisher was sending me Melmoth, I hurried to read The Essex Serpent because the email said it was a sequel, but it's not. There is no connect between the books besides the author. Ha ha. I had wanted to read TES, though, and I loved it so I'm glad I did. 📚

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    1. La La - Thank you for letting me know. I am glad to hear the two books are independent from one another! I do want to read both books--but it's nice to know I can chose the order :-)

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  19. Great CWW pick, the book looks and sounds very intriguing I hope you do enjoy it when you get the chance to read it. Thank you so much for stopping by my CWW.

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  20. Wendy I need to do this meme because I have so many books waiting on my nightstand that this would be a good way to remember about those shelf sitters. Anyway, lots of good books and I'm totally interested in the Melmoth title.

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    1. Iliana - It is a good way to remind me which books are there. :-) If you do participate--it goes up on Thursdays. I just post early because it works well for me to feature the old and the new together.

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