The Books We Turned To When Our World Stopped Turning

We left the developmental pediatrician’s office holding two things:

A diagnosis (“your son has clinical features of autism spectrum disorder“) and a practically translucent handout photocopied so many times that the information was hardly readable through our tears.

What we didn’t have in those very early days, thanks to the renowned specialist we consulted for our then 2-year-old boy, was hope.

This was a decade ago, in early 2004. It would be awhile before I completed my medical degree from the University of Google, I wasn’t blogging yet, and social media hadn’t exploded into the share-every-detail-of-your-family’s-lives-behemoth that it is now. Even if I had, the notion of sharing my family’s autism journey (which I now do, in various publications and blogs) was still too new.

At that moment – and in the days and months and years afterward – what I needed and what I craved most were the experiences of other families. I was on a quest for information, absolutely, but also the experiences and knowledge of others who were a few mile markers down this potholed, curvy New Normal Road that my family was driving down without a GPS (we didn’t have that either).

During those days and throughout the decade that followed, I turned to what I knew, what I could count on.

Books.

And you know what? I still do. Ten years into this, I’m not done learning. Not by a long shot. As different challenges come up, as our family’s journey takes different turns, as we explore different paths, I always come back to the books.

I almost hesitate to share a reading list, because what resonates with me may be vastly different for you. Like those of us who know and love someone with autism are so fond of saying if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. Same with the books. The books that I’d recommend and that have helped me and my family may be very different ones for you and yours.

But an Eleventh Stack post like this almost demands such, especially with tomorrow being the first day of National Autism Awareness Month. Perhaps you’re starting out on that journey where my family was ten years ago.  Perhaps you have a family member on the autism spectrum, or a close friend’s child has just been diagnosed. Perhaps you’ve been wanting to learn a little more.

I think there is something intrinsic that compels us to seek out the stories of others and to share ours. That was the case with me. My favorites have been the memoirs written by the fathers (Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism, by Paul Collins; Father’s Day: A Journey Into the Mind and Heart of My Extraordinary Son, by Buzz Bissinger, and Not My Boy: A Dad’s Journey with Autism, by Rodney Peete).

The first books I read that made me realize that there were other families having similar experiences as mine (which of course I knew, but there is something validating about seeing such in print) were Making Peace with Autism: One family’s story of struggle, discovery, and unexpected gifts, by Susan Senator and the anthology Gravity Pulls You In: Perspectives on Parenting Children on the Autism Spectrum, edited by Kyra Anderson and Vicki Forman.

There are more books, of course – so many more that this post could be twice as long and go on to praise how people with special needs are being incorporated into children’s and teen fiction (maybe that will be part two. Or three). And that’s the point, really.

It goes without saying that I was – and am – able to read most of these books because of the library.

At a time when we thought we were being handed heartbreak, the books we discovered gave us hope.

–Melissa F.

 

Welcome to the Music, Film & Audio Department!

Welcome to the Music, Film & Audio Department! We are located on the second floor of the Main Library. Let me show you around.

 

In the front room the music CDs are organized by genre, including jazz, international, orchestral, new age, soundtracks, etc. This collection includes sound effects. The side wall holds all of the opera CDs. The framed Bakaleinikoff Tablecloth hangs in the back corner.
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The back wall holds CD box sets of all genres.
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On the other side of the room are audio books on CD: fiction shelved by author and non-fiction by call number, even famous speeches. There is a special section called Family Listening. For more children’s audio books, visit the very large selection downstairs in the Children’s Department.

Here are “Playaways” – MP3 devices that hold one audio book each.

 

 

 

 

 

This last wall is our Lecture Series collection on CDs and DVDs, spanning many subject areas. People rave about them!

 

 

 

 

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In this next room are the DVD collections. Here are the TV Series, and then Foreign Films – filed by language, not by country. Yes, they all have English subtitles.

We have Feature Films, shelved by title, with a few shelves of best-sellers – DVDs of popular titles that just came in to the library. There are a few separate sections: Horror, Anime, Blu-Ray, and a shelf for Video Games.

The Non-fiction DVDs are organized by subject call number and contain history and science documentaries, music and art instruction, exercise, a travel section, and so much more—music concerts, plays, ballets, religious subjects, etc. etc. etc.

Here are the public computers. We also have a CD player, a record player, and a cassette tape player for public use.

This is the Music, Film and Audio reference desk where you can get help from librarians. We have some non-circulating collections here including vocal scores and vocal selections from (almost) every musical. There are circulating copies of these as well.

At the Customer Services desk you pick up CDs, DVDs and other AV materials on hold. You can check out all of our circulating material at this desk as well as the Customer Services desk on the first floor.

Here is the audio collection of language learning. We have CDs for English as a Second Language (ESL) for speakers of different languages, and a large selection of foreign language instruction CDs and Playaways that usually come with corresponding booklets. You’ll also find a shelf of dialect CDs for “Acting with an Accent” and DVDs for learning Sign Language.

Next to this is a collection of Pittsburgh documentaries on DVD, and feature films that were made in Pittsburgh.

On this wall is a full set of bound concert programs from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from 1926 to the present. Under this is the Pittsburgh LP Collection (vinyl records).

Whew.

In the next two rooms are music scores, books about music, and musical instrument instruction. Why don’t you just take the virtual tour?

-Joelle

*All photos by J. Killebrew

The Waiting Game

Recently I picked up The Name of the Star thanks to Abbey’s post, The Ripper. I managed to devour this book in less than 24 hours and then spent the rest of the weekend counting down the minutes until I was back at work and could grab the second book in the Shades of London series, The Madness Underneath. I was hooked with the suspenseful story and relationships. Rory, an American High School student, travels to London to attend boarding school. While there she becomes embroiled in a series of murders that are mimicking the original 1880s murders attributed to Jack the Ripper and she ends up with protection from a special police unit. This book scared the living bajesus out of me. I was reading it in my MIL’s basement while we were visiting and I had to trick my husband into turning on all the lights for me so it wasn’t so dark. (I even sent my five year old up the stairs in front of me. I win parenting.) Then I had scary dreams! No kidding.

When I got back to work I immediately went for the second book in the series and managed to finish it that night. This was a bone-headed move, not because I scared myself again but because The Madness Underneath ends with a gigantic cliff hanger, and by gigantic I really mean soul-crushing. Worst of all the third in the series isn’t scheduled to come out until Septemberish 2014.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? SEPTEMBER? I am sitting here still waiting for spring and this book is talking about FALL?!?! Not cool. But at least I was lucky enough to have that information; when book two was originally published last year author Maureen Johnson hadn’t put out ANY indication of when the third book might be available. So now all I can do is sit. AND WAIT. Well I have also spent an embarrassing amount of time on Goodreads and other like forums talking to Shades of London fans (who are all at LEAST a decade or more younger than me).

I think this is unfair. I mean I am one of those people who also had to wait for all the Harry Potter books to come out too…these kids today can just come to the library and check out the whole series in one go if they want to. Also … get off my lawn.

Oh well. If anyone wants to form a ‘waiting for publication’ support group you know where to find me.

-Grumpy Nat

Sweet Dreams

Since becoming a parent I spend what seems like a ridiculous amount of time thinking about sleep (versus actually sleeping). Both my husband and I have had bouts of insomnia throughout our lives, so I guess it’s no surprise that we wound up with night owls for children. Fortunately, we’re now firmly in the toddler and preschool years and the nights of constantly broken sleep are the exception, rather than the norm. But, I still think about sleep.

Most of us have some kind of routine for falling asleep. My husband winds down with whatever book he’s currently reading, but swears by the books of Margaret Truman for helping him get to sleep when he’s having a lot of trouble. My kids require three books* and a song. I like to crawl into bed early and read or binge-watch a TV show (lately something by Anne Bishop has been on my bedside table, and Scandal has been in my DVD player). And if you (or a little person in your life) are having trouble sleeping, there are books like these to help you find your own bedtime routine:

A Woman’s Guide to Sleep Disorders.There are a number of sleep disruptions that are unique to women, like pregnancy or menopause. This book addresses ways for women to sleep well.

Sleep to be Sexy, Smart, and Slim. Although I haven’t read this book yet myself, I’m drawn to the grandiose claims of the title. The book promises to help women get the best sleep of their lives.

The Book of Meditation: Practical Ways to Health and Healing. One of the major causes of insomnia in adults is stress, and meditation is a known stress reliever. Check out this book or one of our many others on the subjet to help clear your mind before going to bed.

Itsy Bitsy Yoga: Poses to Help Your Baby Sleep Longer, Digest Better, and Grow Stronger. Help your little one unwind with some calming yoga before bed!

Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems. Whether you agree with this book or not, I’m willing to bet that most parents who have had trouble with getting their kids to sleep have come across Dr. Ferber’s book at some point. For those who prefer an alternative to “Ferberizing,” The No-Cry Sleep Solution is a popular alternative.

-Irene

*Just kidding, we don’t really read that last book to our kids. But it makes me laugh every time I think of it, especially this reading.

Mystery Authors Revealed!

I recently attended the Public Library Association  conference held in beautiful downtown Indianapolis. In spite of the fact that I’ve been a gainfully employed professional librarian  for 20 years now, this was my first attendance at a national library conference. I have to say that it was one of the best experiences of my career thus far. I was able to go to sessions about readers’ advisory and collection development, as well as programming, merchandising of books, and ways to increase circulation. If you visit the First Floor, in person or on Facebook, sometime in the next few months you will likely run into my ideas that have been put into practice in some way.

But by a wide margin, my favorite two sessions focused on mystery books. I am the librarian responsible for purchasing the mystery books for the Main Library and I also am the facilitator for the Red Herring Book Club. I am also a lifelong lover of mysteries, beginning with Encyclopedia Brown and moving on to Agatha Christie by the time I was in my early teens. So, you can see why the opportunity to talk about mystery books and authors, and to meet some of them in person appealed to me immensely.

My Friday morning session was entitled, “Mystery Authors Revealed.” On the panel were 6 mystery/thriller authors, some new and some that have been writing for a while. Each author had exactly 10 minutes to introduce themselves and their book(s). Of course they all talked in some way about their love of libraries and librarians. One even mentioned that a library conference would be a GREAT setting for a mystery, which received a resounding laugh of approval from the audience.

Now, I’d like to present to you the authors I met at that session. You may be familiar with some, but hopefully I can find you at least one new person whose books you’d like to check out. In alphabetical order…

Jeff Abbott – This guy is funny, with a capital F and UNNY! He’s an established author who’s written a few series, as well as some standalone books. He wanted to make sure all of us librarians in the room knew that his very first book, published in the mid-1990s and winner of both the Agatha and Macavity awards, was about a murder in a library. But he was with us to talk about the latest book in the Sam Capra series, Downfall (This series started with Adrenaline, in case you’re like me and prefer to begin at the beginning).  The protagonist is an ex-CIA agent who is about to become a father, when everything goes terribly wrong. Sam needs to use all of his skills to track down the bad guys. He suggested that these books may appeal to reluctant readers, because they contain LOTS of action.

Sophie Hannah – Sophie is British and witty, that dry wit that the Brits tend to have. She likes to create suspense and writes scary thrillers without a lot of gore. She told us that her latest book, The Orphan Choir, was so creepy it scared her as she was writing it! One of the things that excited me most was when Sophie told us that Agatha Christie’s family commissioned her to write a new Hercule Poirot mystery. It will be coming out this September!!!

Frank Lentricchia – This author is also a literature and film studies professor at Duke University. During his few minutes with us, he read a passage from his latest book, The Dog Killer of Utica (to be published in April 2014). This man is a wonderful reader to listen to and a master wordsmith. This series starts with The Accidental Pallbearer.  Eliot Conte is a PI in his mid-50s who has a short fuse, which leads to a checkered past, but his motives and intentions are usually good. These books are really a love story for the down-and-out Utica, NY.

M.L. Longworth – Mary Lou is a Toronto native who resides in France with her husband. She is absolutely charming and I enjoyed hearing her tales of the French countryside. She actually wrote about speaking with us in her blog . Mary Lou is a fellow foodie, so both her talk and her mysteries resonate with me. Her mystery series is set in France and the latest in the series is Death in the Vines.

Laura McHugh – She is the debut author of The Weight of Blood, which is set in Ozarks in southern Missouri. Like many rural places, blood ties are the law above all else. This can lead to some terrifying situations. Laura grew up for a time in that area and always felt like an outsider in her own town. She was very gracious and as a first-time author, very excited to be talking with us.

Peter Swanson – Peter is another debut novel author, but is already an extremely accomplished poet. His first book is The Girl with a Clock for a Heart. This is a dark, suspense-filled book about what happens when the one you never forgot is the one you should stay away from, but can’t. It’s based on a short story/novella written previously, that an editor/agent wouldn’t let him forget about. Peter came across as very sweet, even a little shy, but spoke very passionately about writing and his first novel.

Enjoy!
-Melissa M.

Samuel Hazo Presents: Poetry and Public Speech, April 7th, 6 to 8 pm

Samuel Hazo, founder and director of the International Poetry Forum in Pittsburgh, is coming to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh–Main to discuss how politics, historical speeches and public discourse coincide with the world of poetry. The author of many books of poetry, fiction, essays and plays, Hazo is also a McAnulty Distinguished Professor of English Emeritus at Duquesne University, where he taught for forty-three years. A National Book Award finalist, he was chosen as the first State Poet of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by Governor Robert Casey in 1993, where he served until 2003.

An accomplished poet, playwright, translator and essayist, Dr. Hazo has been the recipient of many awards and honors, including the Maurice English Award for poetry for his volume, Just Once: New and Previous Poems.

It is fitting that Dr. Hazo will be delivering his talk on April 7th in the beautiful International Poetry room on the second floor of the library, fitting because he founded  the core collection of work by poets from all over the world which now fills an entire room.

It is a privilege and an honor to have him return in what is something of a homecoming, a homecoming for someone who, in fact, has never truly been away. Come hear Dr. Hazo talk of poetry and public speech, the places where they converge, and those where they are forever apart.

– Don

Amusing, Whimsical, and Diverting Historical Romance

I started reading historical romance a little over two years ago because I was sick and tired of reading sad and depressing books that were highly touted in literary circles, The New York Times Book Review, and book clubs. I once derided the entire romance genre as frivolous until I actually read one.

I now only want happy endings, sparkling dialogue, and a passionate love story; even better: a book that can make me laugh and smile.

I thoroughly enjoy the witty works of Jane Austen, so historical romance is my favorite reading pleasure. I can always count on a lovely story and, with these three authors, laugh out loud humor.

The Wicked Wallflower (Wallflowers series) by Maya Rodale

We don’t own all of this author’s delightful books except for her Writing Girls series, about Regency era working women who write for the scandal sheet, The London Weekly–which, incidentally, makes a recurring appearance as it reports on scandals in almost all her novels.

Isn’t this a great cover?! In this story, the first in the series, Lady Emma Avery is a wallflower whose name is falsely linked with the handsome and rich Duke of Ashbrooke in The London Weekly. They decide to keep their pretend engagement so that he might redeem his debauched reputation and find investors to fund his invention and she, in turn, can raise her social standing in society. Of course, things don’t work out as planned. This book is part of an amusing concurrent historical/contemporary series–the contemporary part being a series of novellas called Bad Boys—with a similar theme of a pretend engagement–Rodale calls it a “fauxmance”–on Facebook and other social media. Fun fact: the heroine is a librarian at the New York Public Library.

“’It can’t be any more torturous than a wallflower’s fourth season on the marriage mart.’” (p52)

“It was official: she’d had more callers in this one hour than in four seasons combined. Behold: the power of Ashbrooke.” (p26)

In the Arms of the Heiress (Ladies Unlaced series) by Maggie Robinson

With her cheeky Courtesan Court series about the everyday lives of a group of mistresses on Jane Street to her London List series about a Regency-era scandal sheet of provocative personal ads spoofing today’s craigslist, to her most recent Edwardian-era series, Ladies Unlaced, which takes place around a slightly unorthodox employment agency, I can pretty much count on Maggie Robinson to always make me laugh.

A wacky, independent yet vulnerable heiress, Louisa Stratton hires Charles Cooper, a traumatized war veteran down on his luck, to pose as her fiancé on a visit home to her undeserving family. She hopes to display a veneer of successful independence with a loving, artistic husband while Charles just wants the cash.

“Louisa Stratton was a handful who would drive the average man to drink. Hemlock, if it was handy.” (p175)

”’If you were my wife, I’d rescue you. You could live just as you pleased—I wouldn’t interfere with whatever cork-brained scheme you dreamed up.’” (p240)

“Any husband she’d have would risk being henpecked until he resembled a dartboard.” (p289)

The Secret Brides series by Valerie Bowman

Bowman is a newcomer to historical romance and her lighthearted and charming Regency era Secret Brides series is wonderfully entertaining and funny. Each title represents the scandals in the books, written in pamphlets–think of today’s zines–and are the same titles as the books:

• Secrets of a Wedding Night is about what really happens on a wedding night as written by an unhappily married young widow.
• Secrets of a Runaway Bride depicts the adventures of a young and impetuous debutante who tries to run away with a young man who does not requite her love.
• Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage, the last in the series, is penned by a death-row duchess accused of murdering her husband. There are also two novellas that round out the series.

From Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage:

“Since coming in the back door, she was already warming up, and she hadn’t had a proper bath in over a fortnight. No doubt she smelled like a foot. A very dirty foot.” (p44)

“‘If you’re going to be a scandal, darling, be a complete scandal.’” (p318)

From Secrets of a Runaway Bride:

“First of all, you should not have been eavesdropping. It’s unspeakably rude, and second, what would you know about a marital bed? You’re not married!” (p59)

“Arthur isn’t here now to see, is he? If you’re heaven’s gift to the fairer sex, why don’t you prove it?” (p61)

-Maria, who is done with sad books forever

Note: This post is the third in a series highlighting historical romance novels I’ve greatly enjoyed.

Spring?

Spring officially starts today at 12:57PM.

SPRING.

Lousy Smarch is almost over. It’s been a long winter.

Pittsburgh

Ten (Mostly Pittsburgh) Things I’m Going to Do Before It’s Cold Again

Kennywood!

Every single year I say I’m going. I think this is the year!

The Wilds

Two words: Zipline safari!

Gallery Crawl

Carnegie Science Center 21+ Night

Carnegie Science Center

Swimming World Tour

There is a city of Pittsburgh swimming pool right behind my library, CLP- South Side! I’m also a fan of the county wave pools, the Dormont Pool, and Sandcastle. Plus, there is a secret river spot I take a dip in a few times a year.

Dormont Pool

Churchview Farms Dinner

Did you know there is a farm in Baldwin? Did you know that it’s run by a librarian? I have no idea how that could be more awesome. Oh wait! Add a farm tour and multi-course dinner prepared by a local chef. Awesome-er.

Panhandle Bike Trail

Not that I don’t love riding to places like Connellsville and Boston on the Great Allegheny Passage, but it’s time to mix it up. Starting in Carnegie, this trail travels almost 30 miles to Weirton, West Virginia. Impress your friends, tell them you rode your bike to another state.

Tybee Island, Georgia

The Surf Puppy, Tybee Island, Georgia

2014 Pedal Pale Ale Keg Ride

Commonwealth Press Beer Barge

Bands, craft beer, boats. Sold.

Some other plans include going to the movies on Flagstaff Hill, exploring Frick and Schenley Parks on my bike and going kayaking on the Allegheny River.  We’re going to need a longer summer.

What special Pittsburgh (or non-Pittsburgh) activity is a “must” for you? Because I’m game for anything!

Happy Spring!
suzy

Mind-Bending Sci-Fi

 While perusing the shelves of the Sci-Fi and Fantasy section I happened upon Clean: A Mindspace Investigations Novel by Alex Hughes.  With no previous knowledge, but a powerful need for something new to read, I checked it out.  Sometimes you just get lucky, and you find a book that fits you.  This was one of those times!  Hughes does a great job in this book setting the scene.  It’s the not too distant future, and a dystopian one at that!  After a severe tech crash, and the rise of a generation of folks who possess psionic powers of all types, the world remains a messy place.  Told from a first person perspective, our narrator is a powerful telepath and recovering drug addict.  He works as a consultant to the DeKalb County, GA police department, interviewing suspects and investigating crime scenes.  While the normal CSI crews check for physical clues, our unnamed narrator delves into mindspace to search for the residual psychic traces of violent crime.

Hughes tells her tale through her narrator with a gritty style that brushes the edges of noir without feeling trite.  She weaves in details about this future Earth that conjure images of Blade Runner–outer world colonies exist, and a shadowy organization of people with mental powers has segregated itself and created an almost parallel government. When a powerful member of this Telepath’s Guild appears to be behind a string of grisly murders, the narrator and his beautiful partner, homicide detective Isabelle Cherabino, struggle against red tape, jurisdictional issues, and their own personal demons to find the truth.  When the killer himself turns his awesome power on them, the hunters become the hunted!

Hughes has written another book in his Mindspace setting called Sharp, and once I’ve read that, I’ll need to cast my gaze about for more books in this interesting little corner of the sci-fi universe.  I got a little curious what else might be out there and went to Novelist, our best database for generating read-alikes.  I have to admit, I was a little disappointed at the results, but it did produce Patrick Lee’s Runner, which looks promising.  Elsewhere I found a copy of No Hero by Jonathan Wood, which blends police action with horror in a covert war against tentacled horrors from beyond time and space.  Good times.

Finally, leave it to sci-fi stalwart Alan Dean Foster to have something roughly in this area among his long list of books!  The Mocking Program looks to blend a near-future setting with paranormal powers in just the right mix.  I’ll end this post on that note, but I am open to more suggestions!

–Scott

An Exciting Weekend With Dangerous Women

My idea of a good time is soaring through the air with night witches, galloping through the Old West with outlaws, tailing dangerous dames and femmes fatales, and otherwise cavorting with women you’d be crazy to cross. Luckily for me–and for you!–George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois have edited a spectacular collection of short stories called Dangerous Women,  featuring what are most commonly referred to today as “strong female characters,” though they are ever so much more than that.

Members of the Missouri University Shooting Club, 1934. Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons – click through to learn more.

I had fully intended to read one or two tales at a time to make the collection last longer, but the stories are just so great, I’ve been burning through them the way I normally polish off a bag of Fig Newtons after a long run (do not judge). So far I’ve been totally creeped out by Megan Abbott, highly amused by Joe R. Lansdale, stunned to silence by Brandon Sanderson, and treated to a whirlwind of genres from Western to noir. I’m even in possession of information that Jim Butcher fans who aren’t up-to-date on the Dresden files will be extremely excited to learn. And overall, I’m just plain delighted by the variety of genres produced by a greatest hits lineup of well-known folks–that make up the volume.

[In fact, the only thing that makes me sad about this anthology is that there are no writers of color featured in it. I fail to see how that could possibly have happened, given that authors like Nalo Hopkinson, Jewelle Gomez, and Natsuo Kirino (to name but a few of many) are alive and well, and creating dangerous women of their own. Luckily, there are other story collections to remedy this shortcoming, and I’d recommend you look into them.]

My favorite piece thus far in Dangerous Women addresses the fear of getting old with a twist of the fantastic. Megan Lindholm (better known to some as Robin Hobb) delivers the quietly brilliant “Neighbors,” the story of an aging woman named Sarah whose son is determined to put her in an assisted living facility. Sarah, who has lost her husband (to death), her brother (to Alzheimer’s disease) and her dog (to the mysterious fog that rolls into her yard every night) is determined to hold on to her house for as long as she can. But though her efforts have kept her children at bay thus far, she can’t hold out forever. Meanwhile, the fog–and the mysterious people Sarah sees coming and going inside of it–gets closer and closer to the house. Deeply moving and suspenseful, Lindholm’s story will have you rooting for Sarah all the way up to the surprising–but, under the circumstances, believable–ending.

So, if you’re looking for a series of hair-raising adventures featuring heroines–and villains–who could teach Buffy the Vampire Slayer a thing or two, I definitely recommend snuggling up for a weekend with Dangerous Women. Despite its one glaring flaw, it’s one of the most exciting collections I’ve picked up in a long time, and short story fans of all kinds will consider it a win.

–Leigh Anne