TitleTales

Scaredy and Company: by Lori Fennel

Children’s post—03/13/09
In honor of Scaredy Squirrel’s victory over his latest fear (of sleeping)—and not because I can relate or anything—I went searching for other timid and/or obsessive-compulsive souls in picture books, juvenile novels and teen literature, and now I have all kinds of compadres, er, characters. In the attached list, you will find Alvin Ho, Ruby Oliver, Franklin Delano Donuthead, Garmann, Wemberly (and a few other mice), a promising new worrier in Lisa Graff’s next book Umbrella Summer, and our old pal Grover. I believe literature needs to mirror all personality types, not just those intrepid (and yes, often high-achieving) go-getters

• Browse our list on Scaredy and Company

Adult New Fiction: by Kim Stack

Adult Fiction post—03/13/09
Debut author Reif Larsen has produced The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet with a whirlwind of publishing world chatter. T. S. is a 12-year-old Montana ranch boy who finds that he can express the world around him through cartographic drawings. When a D.C. institution presents him with a prestigious award, T. S. hops a freight train to accept without telling his family. The journey, however, is only half the charm, as item after item of marginalia the charts, maps and diagrams that T. S. Spivet creates depicts a world for the reader beyond the narration. T. S. will be out on May 5, 2009, but in the meantime check out releases like Liars Anonymous by Louise Ure, in which a murder investigation unravels the anonymous life of a former convict; Living Witness by Jane Haddam, next in the Gregor Demarkian series where murder and school board policy confuse an Appalachian town; and Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas, a historical story about the wives of Colorado miners as well as a great new book by Jane Hamilton, Thrity Umrigar.

Cult TV Shows: by Erin Stachowiak

Movie/Television post—03/13/09
I’ve been faithfully watching the television show Lost every week since 2004. I have attended weekly parties, even though some were many miles from my home. My friends and I have dubbed the day that first run episodes air as “Lostmas.” We’ve even dressed up as some of the characters. We’re known as “Losties” in some circles and I know there are more of us out there. Television shows and their cult followings foster this shared experience atmosphere. Rambunctious parties, delicious potluck food and group reactions and discussions afterwards all add together to make every viewing an extraordinary event.

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