What have I been reading lately? Outlander by Diana Gabaldon! It’s pure bliss. The plot? A 20th century woman falls through a stone portal to the Scottish highlands 200 years in the past. Outlander has been made into a Starz series, and the first two seasons are now on Netflix. While you wait for the next season (and book), here’s another of Gabaldon’s books: Lord John and the Private Matter. It’s my pick while it lasts!
What’s better than a great book on a rainy day? In addition to a wide range of novels and non-fiction, we have a wide selection of craft books for you and your family. Plus, Halloween is fast approaching!
Okay, and I just have to add this treasure (also for sale at the Book Shelf!):
‘Twas the night before grand opening when all through the Book Shelf
Not a used book was stirring, not even a self-help book;
The chairs were placed by the windows with care
in hopes that appreciative readers soon would be there.
See you tomorrow!
10 am – 5 pm
We’re getting excited for the Grand Opening on Saturday! For all of you history buffs, take a peek at some of the books added to our history section lately.
The Book Shelf
Mon-Fri: 10 am – 7 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm
Do you know that at the Book Shelf we have many shelves devoted to sheet music? From guitar and vocal arrangements to violins and trombones, we have music of all levels!
The Book Shelf
575 3rd Street, Idaho Falls
Mon-Fri: 10 am – 7 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm
Book review: Hyperion by Dan Simmons
This novel, written by Fredrik Backman, recounts the life of the titular character, Ove, an aging man in a modern world. Ove believes in function, simplicity and doing things the right way. He appreciates things like rules, math and numbers, where problems have a clear answer and the satisfaction of fixing things the way they should be fixed is its own reward. But in a world of long-winded contracts, men in white shirts, people who don’t know how to read a sign and more computers and gadgets than you could swing a hammer at, a man of action and honest work like Ove has become bitter and disillusioned with a society where people would rather talk, cheat, or pawn their problems off on others.
In the beginning of the story, Ove has given up on people or feels that they have given up on him. That’s when a new family moves in next door, starting a chain of events that forces Ove to open his heart and examine his place in a world that needs people like him more than they know and more than a hardened curmudgeon might want to admit.
Told in a format that jumps back and forth between the events of Ove’s past and the trials of his present, is a whimsical tale of a relatively ordinary man navigating the march of time and the effect it has had on the life he wanted, turning it into the life he has. It examines the role of the elderly in society, particularly one that regards them as no more than speedbumps toward some form of progress. However, the narrative follows events from the ground level and is ultimately more concerned with the individual characters and their reactions to events and each other. As such, the novel feels more like a touching story to tug the heartstrings and less like it’s trying to beat the reader over the head with a point.
A Man Called Ove is a well written story that seems to know exactly what it is and doesn’t pretend to be anything more. While some of the dialogue seems forced from time to time, it serves to move the story along at places where it could easily get hung up and distract from the unfolding drama of the overall story. Otherwise the characters are richly detailed and the description of scenes does well to evoke a sense of space and color.
A Man Called Ove is for sale at the Book Shelf for $3.99. Also for sale by the same author is My Grandmother Asked to Tell You She’s Sorry for $3.99.
-Tony
Better Off is one of a handful of books that I have read two or three times. The first was in college as a naive first year, the second was as a writing teacher of adolescents and the third was, well I don’t remember, but a few years ago. The book made a profound impression on me and my way of thinking. As some of you will know, I don’t own a smartphone and never have; this book is largely responsible for my resistance!
In a nutshell, Better Off questions the pervasive and largely unquestioned role of technology in our lives. In the book Eric Brende and his then girlfriend leave the halls of MIT to live in a community without modern technology as part of an experiment. Brende seeks to learn where the technological tipping point is: where does technology solve problems and where does it create problems?
Even if you love every bit of technology in your life, I recommend this book as a counterpoint to our tech-hungry culture. If you are already trying to limit your screen time or questioning whether you need yet another social media account, I bet you’ll eat up this book.
Better Off is for sale for $5.99 at the Book Shelf.
In observance of Independence Day, the Book Shelf will be closed from the 4th to the 7th of July. We will reopen on Monday, July 8th during regular business hours.
We hope everyone has a jubilant 4th of July!
The Book Shelf 