Albany Public Library discussion

Monday, July 2 - Saturday, June 7, 2018

Welcome to Week 2 of APL's Summer Reading Program!

If you have not registered yet for the program, please look back on our discussion titled "2018 Summer Reading Program Information!" to register and get all the information needed!

If you have registered, read on!

This week, we are highlighting books about music. Albert Einstein said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” People find inspiration, comfort, and memories, among other things, in the music they listen to. There's a reason we look to find meaning in the lyrics of our favorite songs. Below you will find some recommendations for books about, or featuring, music.

Remember to comment if you have finished a book this week, including the title and author. You can also stop into your local APL branch and pick up a BINGO card, if you prefer pen and paper to screen and keyboard!

This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin
Musicophilia: Tales of Music & the Brain by Oliver Sacks
Just Kids by Patti Smith
A Visit from the Good Squad by Jennifer Egan
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn
The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rockstar by Nikki Sixx
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Neil Strauss
About a Boy by Nick Hornby
White Tears by Hari Kunzru
Johnny Cash: The Life by Robert Hilburn
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Talking to Girls about Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield
How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt
Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis
Decoded by Jay-Z

I have a recommendation for this category (finished recently, but not recently enough to claim points for summer reading): Echo . My review is here.

If you decide to check it out, I highly recommend you listen to the audio. Music is such a huge part of the story, and the accompanying music adds a whole other dimension to the narrative. Don't cheat yourself with text-only!

Mirkat wrote: "I have a recommendation for this category (finished recently, but not recently enough to claim points for summer reading): Echo. My review is here.

If you decide to check it out, I..."

Good addition! I didn't enjoy it (maybe I should have listened to the audio) but definitely inclusive of the music theme!

I'm currently reading Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements for my music bingo square! Very in-depth, with a lot of interesting background about the 1980s Minneapolis rock scene.

Alicia wrote: "Good addition! I didn't enjoy it (maybe I should have listened to the audio) but definitely inclusive of the music theme! "

The music makes a huge difference. I am not even sure I would have enjoyed it without the music (and also the narrators were very good).

I finished two books this weekend- neither one is about music, although one is very summery: Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches, by John Hodgman, which I highly recommend! And also Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith, who wrote A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, one of my favorite books.

Lauren wrote: "I finished two books this weekend- neither one is about music, although one is very summery: Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches, by John Hodgman, which I highly recommend! And also Joy..."

Cool - I borrowed Vacationland from a friend but haven't got to it yet. Looking forward to it.

I finished Still Lives by Maria Hummel. I liked the descriptions of LA, but found it only so-so as a mystery.

I haven't read any about music but did finish up over the weekend and today:
Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag; The Narrative of Sojourner Truth; and Erebos by Ursula Poznanski.
I will reply to this post with reviews once I'm out of work!

I finished reading 2Brides 2Be by Laura Leigh Abby and Daughter of Blood by Anne Bishop.

I enjoyed both books, one being nonfiction and the a fantasy novel.

All of the books above have been added. Some of you have hit prize levels, so be sure to stop at one of our branches to pick them up!

Your books count whether you follow the theme or not, but they're there to get out you of your reading comfort zone if you're looking for something new. Keep reading everyone!

I just finished Winter Sisters by Robin Oliveira. The author is from Loudonville and the book is set in Albany in the late 1800's. I give it 5+ stars and would highly recommend this book!

Finally finished the book I started last week: Written in Stone: A Geological History of the Northeastern United States (for the "rock" theme.) It was really informative, and had fun pictures of not just tectonic plate movements, but also prehistoric creatures found in local rocks as fossils!

I finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, last night. I really enjoyed it! The story isn't all that original but the characters were engaging, the nods to 1980s gave me waves of nostalgia and it was a fun read. I made the mistake of watching the movie right after though. That was an unfortunate adaptation.

@cassandra - how do things work for those of us using bingo sheets as well? Do they contribute to increased prize levels, or is it just double prizes for double reading? I'm recording different books there.
And do librarians have access to prize level info? I'm going to lose track sooner than later.

I recently finished reading Dreams of Falling, by Karen White. I really enjoyed the book, it delved into the main characters so thoroughly - their thoughts and motivations, I was super invested in seeing what happened with them by the end of the book. It was a solid novel about the power of family and friendship, and I liked how it flashed back and forth between 1950s decade and the present. Also lovely description of South Carolina geography. A great “beach” or summer read for sure!

The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson... A spoiled, well-off American white college boy breaks into a British natural history museum to steal dead birds, selling the feather for a fortune to fly tiers around the world. Nonfiction.

I just finished The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye My review.

This book accidentally fits in with this week's theme. A couple of the characters who are involved in the book's mystery are musical virtuosos (virtuosi). [Spellcheck thinks I'm wrong either way!].

Just finished listening to A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by the mother of one of the Columbine shooters. It was not sensational at all. The scary part was that their lives seemed completely normal, and they never in a million years would have thought their son would do something like this.

I read Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation a few years ago. It got great reviews, but I just couldn't get into it. It wasn't really academic, but it assumed a lot of knowledge that would make it difficult for followers of current day hip-hop to get into. Don't think it would appeal to teen hip-hop fans except for the absolutely most dedicated.

I have never read Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlistso I think I will pick it as my music theme book since it is so iconic.

And I need to find my copy of Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches that my daughter gave me for Christmas. It must be somewhere in my house! Sounds like people are really enjoying it.

Michelle wrote: "I just finished Winter Sisters by Robin Oliveira. The author is from Loudonville and the book is set in Albany in the late 1800's. I give it 5+ stars and would highly recommend this book!"
Thanks!! I read My Name is Mary Sutter a while ago (also partially set in Albany) and didn't realize the author had written another book. Adding to my list.

Jessica wrote: "@cassandra - how do things work for those of us using bingo sheets as well? Do they contribute to increased prize levels, or is it just double prizes for double reading? I'm recording different boo..."

The Bingo sheets are just another way to track your reading and give you ideas for different reads. Those can be posted here, or you can report them to your local APL branch. Just let your librarian know that you're in the Goodreads group so they can add them to the list we already have for you.

Kathleen wrote: "Finally finished the book I started last week: Written in Stone: A Geological History of the Northeastern United States (for the "rock" theme.) It was really informative, and had fun pictures of no..."

You hit the 12 book mark to get your level 4 prize. Well done! I hope you plan to continue reading and posting your reviews and recommendations this summer.

All of your new reads have been added. I'm impressed with what avid readers some of you are. Keep it going!

Susan wrote: "Just finished listening to A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by the mother of one of the Columbine shooters. It was not sensational at all. The scary part was..."

I've read this one, too, and agree with your assessment.

I just finished The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne. I've been in a reading rut and am reading a lot of fluff right now. I really enjoyed the atypical protagonist and the science aspect.

I did not finish any books about music this week, but I did finish "Gwendy's Button Box," by Stephen King which also included a short story called "The Music Room." Neither story was spectacular, but I almost always enjoy listening to Stephen King.
I also finished, "Spoonbenders", by by Daryl Gregory. It had a lot of kudos, but I did not love any of the characters.
I also finished "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI," by David Grann. Which was a fascinating story.
Currently, I am listening to "And Sometimes I Wonder About You,"
by Walter Mosley and still making my way through "The Executioner's Song," by Norman Mailer .

As an avid Nicholas Sparks fan, I think that The Last Song was a great fit for this week's theme. As I have also seen the movie, I wanted to do a compare/contrast and found that movie directors did a good job in keeping the movie true to the book. If I were to choose which I liked best, it would actually be a tough choice here. If you are looking for a good cry, happy and sad, this may be a great choice.

Diane wrote: "I did not finish any books about music this week, but I did finish "Gwendy's Button Box," by Stephen King which also included a short story called "The Music Room." Neither story was spectacular, b..."
I enjoyed Killers of the Flower Moon as well.

I finished Brad Meltzer's The Escape Artist today. It was so-so.

This week I finished reading, “Leaving time” by Jodi Picoult.

Ooh, Katelyn, I really enjoyed that one!

Just finished The Fall of Innocence ('author of color' square), which was interesting. Difficult to read, but beautifully written.

I just finished Pretend I'm Dead by Jen Beagin. It is a quirky book, but solidly written and I appreciate the lack of a pat ending.

Your new books have been added. Diane and Jaybee, be sure to stop at your local branch to get your rewards for reaching the next prize level. Well done, everyone!

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand is my latest book that I just finished reading. It's a great summer read!

Daughter of the Empire - Raymond Feist & Janny Wurts. First in a fantasy series, really enjoyed it.

In week 2, I finished The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King

This week I finished A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, and The Twilight Pariah by Jeffrey Ford.

So, I did end up reading Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. It was enjoyable, and I can't believe I didn't realize that one of the authors is David Levithan. I'm not sure what all the hoopla is about, though, but it may be because some of it didn't age very well. It is now over 10 years old.

I have added all the books listed above. Keep going everyone!

@SusanDE, @Karie, @JenB, you have all reached Level 1 prize: please stop into your local Albany Public Library branch to receive your first prize!

For the week of July 2-July 7 I read the following (sorry I'm late!):

All We Ever Wanted: Emily Giffin:
The Perfect Couple: Elin Hilderbrand
Bring Me Back: B.A Paris
The Wedding Date: Jasmine Guillory

Katie wrote: "For the week of July 2-July 7 I read the following (sorry I'm late!):

All We Ever Wanted: Emily Giffin:
The Perfect Couple: Elin Hilderbrand
Bring Me Back: B.A Paris
The Wedding Date: Jasmine Guil..."

@Katie, I have added your completed books and you have two prizes to pick up at your local Albany Public Library branch! Please let the desk staff know you are in the Goodreads SRP group!

I finished Carl Hiassen's Native Tongue this week.

Think Raising Arizona meets Edward Abbey meets Nevada Barr.
Zany characters, if somewhat far-fetched. Light enough not to be a downer as it comments on habitat loss, but smart enough to offer social commentary on contemporary Florida and its environmental costs.

Kendra wrote: "I finished Carl Hiassen's Native Tongue this week.

Think Raising Arizona meets Edward Abbey meets Nevada Barr.
Zany characters, if somewhat far-fetched. Light enough not to be a downer as it comm..."

Kendra, I have added this finished book! Great job!

Kendra - This sounds like the perfect book for a long train ride I have later this summer. Thanks!

This week was a lighter week but I did want to follow the theme a little more closely so I downloaded from Overdrive: Decoded by Jay-Z and wondered where I've been since 2010 that I'd never read it. What a fantastic mix of biography, history (of music and American life), and analysis and understanding of his music and hip-hop in general. Thank you for recommending it. Others I read off-topic that I'd recommend include: Seafire by Natalie C. Parker (an all-lady pirate crew in a dystopian world), volumes 2-4 of a manga series called The Promised Neverland (a dark mystery about orphaned kids being raised by "mom" but they're being groomed for something sinister), You Go First by Entrada Kelly (lovely middle grade story about friendship and family), and Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens (it's exactly what the title tells you it is!)

Alicia wrote: "This week was a lighter week but I did want to follow the theme a little more closely so I downloaded from Overdrive: Decoded by Jay-Z and wondered where I've been since 2010 that I'd never read it..."

Alicia, I added your Jay-Z read to your list. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

For week two, I read “Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations” by Amy Chua. I usually like her books, but felt she could have invested some more time in the ideas she was highlighting. If political thought isn’t usually your thing, I’d recommend this book, especially given current political affairs domestically (and in Europe). If your more seasoned, it’s a quick read with a few interesting kernels.

I also read “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. I enjoyed this one a lot and encourage anyone who likes philosophical reads to give it a try.

For the theme, I’m currently reading “How Music Got Free” by Stephen Witt...so far a really fun read (especially coming from the Napster generation).

Rich wrote: "For week two, I read “Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations” by Amy Chua. I usually like her books, but felt she could have invested some more time in the ideas she was highlight..."

@Rich, I have added your two completed books for this week!

This week I finished "Sometimes I Lie" by Alice Feeney. Not really the music theme, but a book which was on my list!