Many books are published every year, and few of them make it to the numerous bestseller lists. Consider the books listed below, where you will find something old and something new to read. Your library card makes it possible to check out hundreds of books and other materials for free. It is up to you, dear reader, to decide if you like any of them. If you don’t like something, then drop it—in the book drop, or remove from your e-reader. Los Angeles Public Library has many more books that will make you want to read on and on.
A scenically beautiful Turkish seaside resort does not provide respite for a bon vivant crime writer. All the turmoil, political intrigue, personal pettiness and rivalries that existed in the big city are magnified in small town life, which has its own horrific secrets. Underestimating the town folk, the writer has the tables turned on him. A carefully crafted satire about politics and the human condition. What is truth, what is not?
The author, Ahmet Altan, is currently serving a life sentence in prison in Turkey, but continues to write while appealing his sentence.
Retired and living in modern cultured Berlin, a former classics professor ponders what to do with his time. When he confronts the African refugee crisis in his city, the professor must deal with his emotional reactions, and a call for action. His academic analysis and training are of little use. Erpenbeck has created layers of tragic stories about the experience of displaced people, and the often misplaced and futile attempts to assist them.
Sarah McBride’s autobiography is a candid story of her own transitioning, and advocacy for LGBTQ rights. There have many firsts for McBride: as student body president at American University she came out as a transgender woman; in 2016 at the Democratic National Convention, she was the first transgender woman to address a major political convention. She is very sincere and candid about her thoughts and feelings as she recalls her early years as a child and later as an adult.
Wislawa Szymborska’s poetry is evocative, clear, down-to-earth, serious, funny and witty. For anyone who thinks that poetry is not for them, Szymborska’s poetry is a wonderful place to begin. Two of her poems are featured in a current exhibit at Central Library, Aftermath Project: War is Only Half the Story: “Reality Demands” and “The End of the Beginning” which concern what is to be done when wars end. “In Praise of Dreams” and “The Joy of Writing” are two poems that are more lighthearted. Among other international literary awards, she received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1996 "for poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality".
When Los Angeles City Hall was completed in 1928 it was the tallest building in the Los Angeles basin. Stephen Gee presents a history of a building which some may take for granted, or not even consider as a significant work of architecture since it has been eclipsed by glitzier, larger and taller buildings in DTLA. There were various ideas about the proposed building, which provide insights into LA’s early history. In addition to the overall history of City Hall, Gee emphasizes the artistic features and functions of the building. Sandra Stojanovic’s contemporary photographs are sensational. The book also includes historical photographs in color, black and white, drawings and blueprints.
Lesley Blanche introduces four adventurous women who traveled during the nineteenth century, to Arabia and Algeria, at a time when women did not travel anywhere unless well chaperoned--that meant with a man. Only one of these daring and fearless women traveled with a man: Lady Isabel Burton. The other travelers were Jane Elizabeth Digby, Aimée Dubuc de Rivery and Isabelle Eberhardt.
As life changes in Zanzibar, so does Salim's life. He leaves a house full of secrets, and joins his charismatic Uncle Amir in London. However, Salim is not prepared to experience the culture shock as an immigrant and college student. As in his other novels Abdulrazak Gurnah's elegant writing and keen observations about exile and immigration personalize the lives of those who are most vulnerable.
If you want something different for July 4th, then allow some of L.A.’s top chefs, bakers and bartenders to inspire you. Steingold’s collected recipes celebrate Los Angeles as a “full fledged culinary community” which validates how serious and open Angelenos are about good cooking and eating. You cannot tell a book by its cover rings true on this one, because the interior is ablaze with color photographs and drawings.