The Harlem Renaissance

Every now and then, a city, a town or region will experience an explosion of creativity in literature, music and the arts. One such explosion occurred in Harlem between the two World Wars. It left our nation culturally richer. Some books about The Harlem Renaissance and some by the authors of The Harlem Renaissance are from this  Allen’s List – https://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/blog/2021/05/12/latest-allens-list-harlem-renaissance

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American Classics – Timeless Stories

One definition of a classic is a work of art of recognized and established value. This could be a painting, a piece of music or a novel. These American novels meet that definition of classic:

• “The Last of the Mohicans” by James Fenimore Cooper
• “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain
• “O Pioneers!” by Willa Cather
• “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison

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Hard-boiled Mysteries – A Bit of Toughness and Corruption

If you like your mysteries with a toughness and a bit of corruption in the air, consider a hard-boiled mystery. The detectives may not have the fanciest offices or the most respectable clients but they make for a great story:

• Raymond Chandler “The Big Sleep”
• Dashiell Hammett “The Maltese Falcon”
• Chester Himes “Cotton Comes to Harlem”
• John D. MacDonald “The Deep Blue Good-by”
• Ross Macdonald “The Drowning Pool”
• Walter Mosley “Devil in a Blue Dress”
• Mickey Spillane “I, the Jury”

Download them from NCLBPH! Happy Reading! – Allen

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Chicago Books

Chicago.  A distinctively American city of hard work and machine politics. Also, it is the setting for some great fiction, from science fiction to mysteries and steamy romance. Also, one novel which brought about significant changes in government policy. However, first start with a poetry collection:

• “Carl Sandburg: Selected Poems” by Carl Sandburg
• “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair
• “Nathan Heller Books 1 – 3” by Max Allan Collins
• “Flirting with Fire” by Kate Meader
• “Divergent” by Veronica Roth
• “Chicago: a Novel” by David Mamet

Happy Reading! – Allen

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Classics for the Winter

At different times of year many of us like different types of food. The same is true with books. In the summer we may enjoy a lighter mystery or romance. In the winter when the days are shorter, the skies  are grayer, we may reach for a heavier classic. A few to consider for this winter:

• “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens
• “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Ernest Hemingway
• “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck
• “O Pioneers!” by Willa Cather
• “Snopes: The Hamlet, The Town, The Mansion” by William Faulkner
• “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison

Enjoy one of these by downloading it or requesting it from the library. Happy reading. -Allen

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Los Angeles Novels

Los Angeles. The City of Dreams, The City of Angels. Also, the setting for some great novels. So if you would like to read a book set in La La Land consider one of the following:

• “Beverly Hills” by Pat Booth
• “Farewell My Lovely” by Raymond Chandler
• “Liar’s Game” by Eric Jerome Dickey
• “Informers” by Bret Easton Ellis
• “L. A. Confidential” by James Ellroy
• “Anonymous Rex: A Detective Story” by Eric Garcia
• “Get Shorty” by Elmore Leonard
• “Devil in a Blue Dress” by Walter Mosley
• “Oath of Fealty” by Larry Niven
• “The Prince of Beverly Hills: a Rick Barron Book” by Stuart Woods

Happy Reading! – Allen

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Books on Beverages and More!!!

You can learn a bit about history, economics and societies by reading about beverages. So pour yourself your favorite beverage and enjoy one of the following books:

• DB082420 “Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism” by Barton J. Elmore
• DB064241 “The Real Pepsi Challenge: The Inspirational Story of Breaking the Color Barrier in American Business” by Stephanie Capparell
• DB049855 “The Coffee Book: Anatomy of an Industry from Crop to the Last Drop” by Gregory Dicum
• DB060366 “Tea: Addiction, Exploitation and Empire” by Roy Moxham
• DB082515 “The Book of Gin: A Spirited World History from Alchemists’ Stills and Colonial Outposts” by Richard Barnett
• DB082834 “Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey” by Reid Mitenbuler

Download a book, or request it from the library. Happy Reading! – Allen

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Merry Murderous Mayhem for Christmas

Well it is the Christmas Season and our thoughts often turn to murder and mayhem. Amazingly enough mystery writers recognize this fact and there are many fine novels as well as short story collections; set during the holiday season. If you believe this is a recent occurrence in literature, then you might want to consider reading a few from an earlier time. For your reading pleasure consider, “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” (DB044355) by Agatha Christie or “Maigret’s Christmas” (DB039388) by Georges Simenon. While staying on the other side of the Atlantic, listen to “A Rumpole Christmas” (DB070878) by John Mortimer.

If you are wondering if American authors can crank out an enjoyable Christmas mystery, the answer is yes! Starting in the South pick up “Nora Bonesteel’s Christmas Past” (DB080354) by Sharyn McCrumb. Heading up the east coast enjoy “Manhattans and Murder: A Murder, She Wrote Mystery” (DB060587) by Donald Bain. Stopping in California, read “The 19th Christmas” (DB096863) by James Patterson.

Finally, if your appetite for holiday crime has not been satisfied, consider taking on “The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries” (DB080443) edited by Otto Penzler. This last one is a collection of 59 stories by authors as diverse as Arthur Conan Doyle, Ellery Queen, Ed McBain and Sara Paretsky.

Enjoy your holiday season by downloading one of the books above or any on your wish list! Merry Reading!-Allen

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Alternative History – The Great What if’s…?

If you have ever entertained the question “What if…?” about a historical event; you might enjoy Alternate History novels. These are sometimes referred to as Alternate Timeline novels. A few to consider:

• “SS-GB” by Len Deighton
• “The Man in the High Castle” by Philip K. Dick
• “The Two Georges” by Richard Dreyfuss and Harry Turtledove
• “Fatherland” by Robert Harris
• “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis
• “The Plot Against America” by Philip Roth
• “How Few Remain” by Harry Turtledove
• “Farthing” “Ha’penny” “Half a Crown” by Jo Walton

Enjoy these from NCLBPH. Happy Reading! – Allen

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Nobel Laureates

Since 1901 the Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country. The criteria set forth by Alfred Nobel is that the author has produced “in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction”. Some books by Nobel Laureates to consider:

• “Kim” by Rudyard Kipling 
• “The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats” by William Butler Yeats
• “Buddenbrooks” by Thomas Mann
• “Main Street” by Sinclair Lewis
• “Steppenwolf” by Herman Hesse
• “The Stranger” by Albert Camus
• “Herzog” by Saul Bellow
• “July’s People” by Nadine Gordimer
• “Sula” by Toni Morrison
• “The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro

Happy Reading! – Allen

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