2015 Pulitzer Prize Winners

This year's Pulitzer Prize winners have been announced! This is an award for journalism, literature, and music named after the late Joseph Pulitzer, a newspaper publisher.

Congratulations to all of the winning authors. Below are this year's winners with links to the items in our catalog for you to check out.

Fiction: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

General Nonfiction: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

Biography or Autobiography: The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pope Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer

History: Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People by Elizabeth Fenn

Have you read any of these titles yet? Which ones are you planning on reading?

Review: My Story by Elizabeth Smart

Title: My Story

Author: Elizabeth Smart

Genre: Memoir, true crime

Pages: 308

Published: 2013

It's always hard for me to rate and review books that contain such personal stories and ordeals, like this one.

Many of you probably remember the story of Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped from her Salt Lake City home in 2002. She was 14 years old and taken captive by Brian David Mitchell and his wife, and held in captivity for nine long months in outdoor "camps." She was abused both mentally and physically, starved, sexually abused, and made to live in fear with the constant threats made by her captors who convinced her that if she ever tried to escape, her family would be killed.

It was extremely heartbreaking and fascinating to finally hear the whole story directly from Elizabeth. I was shocked by all the things that she endured and how delusional Mitchell was. It sickened me how he pretended and faked his way through life. He pretended he was a prophet and that he was doing all that he was doing because he was told to do so by God. He "preached" on the street for money, stole things from stores, and convinced people he was doing it all in the name of religion. He was a phony and a criminal and how he got away with it for so long, I will never understand.

This account of Elizabeth's ordeal is quite detailed and all encompassing. If you're interested in following crime cases, as I am, this would be a good book for you to pick up. I'm also planning on reading some other books about this case from other authors just to get other perspectives, but this is obviously the definitive account and one that I'd recommend.

My Rating: 4/5

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Reviewed by Stephanie

As always, feel free to call us to check on an item's availability at 720-4106, or try our Barnard Crossing Branch at 663-3357. You can also check our online catalog 24/7 at http://greecepubliclibrary.org/. Click on the title above to link directly to the item in our catalog!

Revew: Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

Title: Dad is Fat

Author: Jim Gaffigan

Genre: Memoir, humor, nonfiction

Pages: 274

Published: 2013

I am quite a big fan of Jim Gaffigan's. My family and I watch his specials on Netflix and bust out laughing. Needless to say, when I found out he had a book out, I was pretty excited.

I went into this book with high expectations that were perhaps a bit too high. I pictured it to be similar to one of his shows, which in a way it was, but my disappointment lied in the fact that it was basically a comedic book about parenting and being a dad. While I had a few chuckles here and there, and could completely hear him saying all of these things in his whacky voices, I simply couldn't relate. Not being a parent yet, I could understand the points he was making but I just didn't appreciate them as much as a parent could and would.

Nevertheless, Jim Gaffigan is pretty interesting and funny. He talks about what it's like raising five kids in his two bedroom apartment in NYC. Yes, CRAZY! There are also photos and drawings included, which were quite funny. I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of his sketches that I've seen on his specials included towards the end of the book too. 

Jim Gaffigan's delivery is hilarious, regardless of the topic, but I just couldn't get all that enthused about this particular topic. I enjoyed the short essay format because I could easily pick up and put down the book, even if I just had a few minutes to read. All in all though, I'd say this book is really targeted more towards parents who are fans of his, rather than all of his fans. If you're currently childless, you may not enjoy this one as much. This is not to say it's a bad book - it certainly is not... it just wasn't up my alley at this particular stage in my life!

My Rating: 3/5 

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Reviewed by Stephanie

As always, feel free to call us to check on an item's availability at 720-4106, or try our Barnard Crossing Branch at 663-3357. You can also check our online catalog 24/7 at http://greecepubliclibrary.org/. Click on the title above to link directly to the item in our catalog!

Nonfiction Review: How I Planned Your Wedding by Susan Wiggs & Elizabeth Wiggs Maas

Title: How I Planned Your Wedding: the All-True Story of a Mother and Daughter Surviving the Happiest Day of Their Lives 

Author: Susan Wiggs & Elizabeth Wiggs Maas

Genre: nonfiction, memoir

Pages: 229

Published: 2010

I just got married last month and decided to read this book right before my wedding. I actually finished it on the honeymoon! Anyways, this is the true story of a mother and daughter, Susan and Elizabeth, planning Elizabeth's wedding. As some of you may know, Susan Wiggs is a very popular bestselling romance author who has many great ideas about romance, love, and weddings. She couldn't WAIT for her daughter to get engaged so they could start planning a fairy tale wedding just like the ones she writes about.

This story switched view points, with both Elizabeth and her mother narrating. It covered the whole story from the engagement, all the way to the honeymoon and it was nice seeing two perspectives as I know my own mother was very involved in helping to plan my wedding too! The two women are very close and I enjoyed reading about their relationship and close bond - it was very sweet and touching! 

This book also includes some pointers and tips, so I think this book would be great for the newly engaged. It would make the perfect read for a mother and daughter who are planning a wedding because it was light, fun and cute. It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was worth the read, especially at that particular time in my life.

My Rating: 3.5/5

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Reviewed by Stephanie

This book is available as an eBook through our service, OverDrive. Check it out to your device or computer HERE!

As always, feel free to call us to check on an item's availability at 720-4106, or try our Barnard Crossing Branch at 663-3357. You can also check our online catalog 24/7 at http://greecepubliclibrary.org.

Hilarious Reads

Looking for something hilarious to read? Check out some of these books...

Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster: Jen Lancaster, who started out as a blogger, has written several memoirs and novels. This is her first memoir and it is laugh out loud funny. She is self-centered, rude, and vulgar, but she is also hilarious. Not for the easily offended.

Lunatics by Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel: This is a totally off the wall novel by two very funny writers. It is insane, ridiculous, and absurd, but I was laughing all the way through. This story of two men whose small argument snowballs into global escapades will crack you up, but only if you have a silly sense of humor like I have!

Seriously... I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres: This is a lighthearted, funny, positive memoir that is completely entertaining and fun. Great for something light, especially for fans of Ellen!

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Reviewed by Stephanie

As always, feel free to call us to check on their availability at 720-4106, or try our Barnard Crossing Branch at 663-3357. You can also check our online catalog 24/7 at http://greecepubliclibrary.org/. Click on the titles above to link directly to the item in our catalog!

Nonfiction Review: Bringing in Finn by Sara Connell

Title: Bringing in Finn: An Extraordinary Surrogacy Story

Author: Sara Connell

Genre: nonfiction, memoir

Pages: 336

Published: 2012

Bringing in Finn is one woman's true account of her struggle to get pregnant and have a baby. After countless heartaches, lost pregnancies, and IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatments, Sara and her husband, Bill, knew they still wanted to have a child, despite having no success as of yet. Eventually, her 61 year old mother became a surrogate and carried their son, Finn, to full term for them.

This was a fascinating story. Not only was it incredible that Sara's mother became a surrogate for her own daughter, but her age was an astounding factor as well. It helped create a bond between the family that once seemed lost; what a beautiful thing! And what a gift... to help your child have her own child... just wow!

The first half of the story is also important. It chronicles Sara's own personal journey to having a child and the struggles she endured trying to have a baby. She discusses the various treatments they used while trying to get pregnant, the joy of finally becoming pregnant with twins, as well as the painful miscarriages she faced later on and the loss of the twins she was so excited to conceive after a long road of trying.

While I don't have children just yet, I was moved and fascinated by this story. I also learned a lot about infertility, pregnancy, IVF, and surrogacy making me a much more knowledgeable and empathetic person.

One thing to note is that Sara is very into alternative health and seems quite spiritual. She seems very unique and intelligent! I had a hard time connecting with these ideas at times though. However, it never hurts to learn about new things, ideas, cultures, and more, so this may not be a bad thing.

All in all, a very interesting and lovely story about family, love, and hope.

My Rating: 4/5

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Reviewed by Stephanie

You can find this book in our BIOGRAPHY section. Its location is "BIO CONNELL." You can also find this in our online catalog by clicking HERE.

As always, feel free to call us to check on their availability at 720-4106, or try our Barnard Crossing Branch at 663-3357. You can also check our online catalog 24/7 at http://greecepubliclibrary.org.