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MADreads

Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors

Postmodern Hansel and Gretel

Cover of Gingerbread: A Novel
A review of Gingerbread: A Novel by Helen Oyeyemi

Helen Oyeyemi's Gingerbread is the story of three women, Margot, Harriet and Perdita Lee, how their lives intertwine with the Kerchevals, a wealthy family of landowners in the fictional country of Druhástrana, and a legacy recipe for gingerbread. It's hard to put into words all of the magic that's present in this novel. I'll tell you one thing: it was impossible for me to read this book without craving gingerbread something fierce.

Apr 29, 2019

Sweet Anticipation for May 2019

Sweet Anticipation May graphic
New Titles

--It’s a very good month to be a Wisconsin author. This May sees the release of three titles with ties to the Badger State. Longtime local favorite Jennifer Chiaverini continues to explore the lives of real women through a historical fiction lens with Resistance Women. Her central character, Mildred Fish-Harnack, was raised in Milwaukee before moving to Germany where she worked as a spy against the Nazis. It’s on shelves mid-month. Madison-based author Kelly Harms scored recent hits with The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay and The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane.

Apr 24, 2019

Keep an eye on the cat

Cover of Looker: A Novel
A review of Looker: A Novel by Laura Sims

Sometimes you're reading a book about a person who is stalking their neighbor and you think, huh. That's a little creepy. And then it might keep you up at night wondering if you've locked the doors. And then you double check on the whereabouts of your pet. And you realize you should not read scary books before bed. This is not a healthy way to live!

Apr 18, 2019

I Talk to You, and You Talk to Me

Cover of Baby Talk
A review of Baby Talk by Stella Blackstone

This book is full of close-ups of a variety of baby/parent experiences – with babies and parents playing, singing, cuddling, holding, reading and more.  The text is so simple, yet it reveals so much about quality time with baby and how to help baby develop language skills and learn about what’s known as the “serve and return” of conversation. “I love you, and you love me. I talk to you, and you talk to me.”  This is definitely a highly recommended choice.

Apr 11, 2019

Next big OverDrive Library Reads

Homes:  A Refugee Story
A review of Homes: A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah

As war overtook their home in Iraq in 2010, the al Rabeeah family sought a safe refuge. Their choice was the ancient and vibrant city of Homs in Syria. But within a year, their hope had turned into a nightmare as Homs became the epicenter of struggle against Syrian president Bashir al-Assad. Abu Bakr al Rabeeah was ten and one of eight children in the al Rabeeah family when the violence broke out, and witnessed the devastating siege of his new home before his family was able to finally escape to Canada.

Mar 28, 2019

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