BCL Reads

Your source for information on the latest, greatest reads.

Staff Picks: Stacey recommends: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Submitted by Stacey Inman on 04/27/2010 - 10:53am

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is a heartwarming novel about family relationships, war, youth, and love during the 1940's in America. Ford delivers readers one of the most intriguing historical novels in recent memory. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells the story of love between an American Chinese boy and Japanese girl, when such bonds were forbidden.

Ford parallels two stories in time; both told by protagonist, Henry Lee. The story alternates between the 1940's and 1986, when an aged Henry Lee comes to terms with acquaintances and regrets from his past. Ford begins the story in 1986, when Henry, now a widowed father, learns that the Panama Hotel, a staple in the Japanese part of Seattle, will reopen and many of the possessions of the Japanese American families of World War II can now be claimed. This revives his love for Keiko, his first love, and sends him on a mission to relive the story of his youth and reacquaint with his first love, Keiko.

Back to 1942, Ford shows a young Henry and his unyielding love for a beautiful Japanese girl. Henry Lee, a twelve year old Chinese American, is "scholarshipping" in an all white school in Seattle in the 1940's. On the order of his father, Henry wears a badge to school everyday that states "I am Chinese". Henry finds that life at an all white school is tough; he endures daily beatings and bullying from his peers. That is until he meets Keiko, a young Japanese American, with whom he instantly bonds with. They form a friendship and love that is torn apart by the cultural divide between the Chinese and Japanese during World War II. Forty years pass and Henry is left to consider what could have been.

Shanghai Girls meets A Thousand Splendid Suns in this great new novel. Ford informs readers of a part of American history that very few Americans have learned. Ford takes readers on a journey through history detailing the plight of Japanese Americans during World War II. Readers will not only enjoy the heartwarming love story, but they will also get a glimpse of the attitudes and history of this period. I highly recommend this novel to anyone searching for a great story- one that bridges cultural divides and takes us on a literary journey through history. A must read for book clubs and reading groups around the nation.

Reviewed by: Stacey Inman, Bluffton Library Reference Librarian

Beach Reads 2010: Top 10 Books to Read this Summer

Submitted by Stacey Inman on 05/11/2010 - 12:41pm

Summer is upon us! Look forward to these new releases this summer. Kick back relax and enjoy some fun in the sun!


1.) Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner July 13, 2010	2.) Promises to Keep by Jane Green July 15, 2010	3.) The Island by Elin Hildebrand July 6, 2010


4.) Lowcountry Summer by Dorothy Benton Frank June 15, 2010	5.) Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe May 1, 2010	6.) Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin May 11, 2010


7.) On Folly Beach by Karen White May 4, 2010	8.) Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer June 22, 2010	9.) Thin, Rich, Pretty by Beth Harbison July 6, 2010


10.) Cum Laude by Cecily Von Ziegesar June 1, 2010

If you liked The Help by Kathryn Stockett; you will love Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Submitted by Stacey Inman on 05/25/2010 - 10:28am

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman is the story of a twelve year old girl who has been taking care of her mentally ill mother in Ohio for years. CeeCee has far too many responsibilities for a twelve year old. Her father is basically absent and CeeCee is left to take care of of her very sick mother. When tragedy strikes, CeeCee is sent to Savannah, Georgia to live with her great Aunt Tootsie. This book tells the story of her first summer in Savannah and the bonds she creates with the new women in her life.

Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt cover Upon her arrival in Savannah, CeeCee is swept off her feet by her Aunt Tootsie. CeeCee begins to have the childhood she was deprived of in Ohio. She grows very close to Oletta, her aunts housekeeper, and develops great relationships with her Aunt Tootsie and their neighbors as well. With these strong women relationships in her life, CeeCee is able to overcome her grief and tragic life back in Ohio and start a new life in Savannah.

This is an uplifting, feel good story about a young girl and the new life she makes for herself in the South. If you like southern fiction, this is must read. I highly recommend listening to this audiobook as well. Read by the same reader of The Help. Listening to this audio will make you laugh out loud and at times, cry out of pity for this young girl.

If you are looking for a quick and satisfying read this summer, I would highly recommend this debut novel by Beth Hoffman. A great mix of both The Secret Life of Bees and The Help. I only hope there are many more to come from this author.

Worth Reading: Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain

Submitted by Stacey Inman on 07/27/2010 - 7:30am

Medium Raw cover If you read and enjoyed Anthony Bourdain’s first book, Kitchen Confidential, you shouldn’t miss his new book, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People that Cook. Out for a little over a month now, this book has seen a mix of reviews. Like Bourdain’s personality, this New York Times bestseller will generate a “love it or hate it” reaction with most readers.

If you are unfamiliar with Bourdain, put simply, he has worked every job in the food world. Everything from short order cook to professional chef. Currently, Bourdain is the star and writer of the Travel Channel show, No Reservations. A show that has given viewers not only a glimpse of the world, but also a “local” view of different cultures and their passion for food. Written in a similar style as his show, you will either love or hate this intelligent and witty TV personality and his writing.

Ten years ago, Bourdain unleashed a behind the scenes story of the New York City restaurant scene in Kitchen Confidential. Bourdain exposed the movers and shakers of the food industry and all the drugs, sex and alcohol that came with working in a kitchen. Ten years later, Bourdain returns to reassess the current food scene. With his unyielding passion for food and usual potty mouth, Bourdain gives readers a new look at the food world. Bourdain brings his straightforward and legitimate criticisms of the Food network, their stars and the rise of the reality TV world to the forefront.

The food world has evolved and so has Bourdain. In this collection of essays, Bourdain details how the far the Food Network has fallen. Ridding itself of all of the “real” professional chefs, Food Network is now the network of Rachel Ray, Sandra Lee and other quick dinner fix personalities. Bourdain even tells readers that “his” network has recently been bought out by the same as Food Network. Bourdain touches on everything from the downfalls of being a fast food nation and its impact on school nutrition to the mediocrity of overpriced restaurants frequented by the rich. These are one of many themes touched in this current rant on the modern food scene.

When he wrote Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain was an overworked and hung-over chef. Medium Raw was written after he attained fame and thus may not have the appeal of the earlier book. It provides appeal to readers in other ways. In the ten years that have passed, Bourdain has not mellowed in his passion for food, but is now happily married, has settled down and has a young child. While he engages in his usual angry diatribe, he also touches on issues that are serious and important, such as the dubious practices of meat processors and the “dumbing” down of society.

If you are interested in the food scene and are looking for an informational and entertaining book to read, this is the one. Of course, you will find Bourdain’s usual targets in this book, like Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee and vegetarians, but you will also find serious and important criticisms about our culture and its relationship with food. Funny and well written, this is one of the best nonfiction books of the year.

Book Review: The Land of Painted Caves by Jean Auel

Submitted by Stacey Inman on 04/22/2011 - 12:43pm

Land of the Painted Caves cover

Thirty years in the making, fans of the Earth’s Children series, no longer have to wait for the highly anticipated final installment of the popular historical fiction series. The sixth and proposed final book, The Land of Painted Caves came out in late March. Auel again brings her extensive research and lively descriptions of prehistoric life to The Land of Painted Caves. While the book falls a little short in the strength of it characters and moves slow at times, it is definitely worth the read.

If you are not familiar with the series, beginning in 1980, author, Jean Auel began wowing readers with her first installment, The Clan of Cave Bear. The series follows the life of Ayla, a young Cro- Magnon girl that was found and raised by a Neanderthal family after the tragic loss of her family. As the series develops, Ayla grows into womanhood and faces new challenges in the world in which she lives.

The Land of Painted Caves, again follows the lives of Ayla, her lover and her daughter as they journey through their region and meet new challenges. The book reads in three parts. The first parts follow Ayla as she journeys through the caves of Zelandonni. This gives readers great descriptions of the environment in which they lived and the challenges they encounter. Auel provides great detail in her description of Ayla’s pilgrimage to the most sacred caves in the land.

Auel also illustrates Ayla’s relationship with her lover and her daughter. Several years pass and this provides great detail of family and tribal life in prehistoric times.

In the end of book 5, The Shelters of Stone, readers learn that Ayla is chosen to work with a spiritual leader and become a “acolyte”, which is a great honor. In this book, readers follow Ayla’s training to become spiritual healer, including her completion and the discoveries she makes on the way.

All in all, this book should be read for its great depictions of the prehistoric environment and the detail of the lives in which they lived. It reads a lot like The Shelters of Stone. The descriptions of the sacred caves and Ayla’s transformation from young girl to hunter, spiritual healer, lover and mother make this a must read to finish the series.

Fans that have waited with great expectations and high anticipation since the last book in 2002, may be slightly disappointed. Auel leaves the story hanging in some regards and many may be left wanting more of Ayla’s story. For now and 30 years in the making, this is the final book and final chapter of Ayla’s heroic prehistoric life.

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