Texas Congressman Ron Paul’s The Revolution is a political manifesto for a return to small government, personal responsibility, and individual economic ingenuity.

While I sympathize with Paul’s politics, I held off on reading this book for a long time because of the title.  To me it sounded arrogant.  Why couldn’t he just say ‘A Revolution’ instead of implying that there was only one revolution worth working toward?  After reading it though, I was struck by Paul’s heartfelt concern for the future of the United States, but more importantly, for the future of United States citizens.

First, Congressman Paul asks us to consider whether or not we have been presented with a false choice of legitimate political parties.  Aren’t the Democratic and Republican parties worlds apart on every conceivable issue?  Paul would have us believe that they are not.  His objection is that both parties operate under the same false assumptions when it comes to understanding the Constitution.  Against this backdrop, Paul begins to present his own system of political thought.

This is a short read, clocking in at 208 pages, cover to cover.  In it, Paul deftly tackles such pressing topics as foreign policy, interpretation of the Constitution, economic freedom, personal freedom, and money (i.e., how the United States monetary system has shifted from a gold standard to a Federal Reserve system).  Even if you ultimately disagree with him, Paul’s words exist to challenge some of the most fundamental assumptions of modern American politics. And isn’t exploring opposing viewpoints intellectually honorable?  If you want a great introduction to Libertarianism, I would highly recommend starting here!

Dan Curry – Savage Branch

The Girl in the Cafe is another great example of Richard Curtis’ signature matching of two people who wouldn’t meet under normal circumstances. In the comedy-romance Notting Hill, the lives of bookstore owner Will and movie megastar Anna Scott become entangled. Here — in a higher stakes but lower key example of the mismatch — Lawrence, a senior economist in the British treasury department, finds himself smitten with Gina, the girl in the cafe.

The movie works because Bill Nighy turns in an incredible performance as Lawrence. He’s professionally competent, but cringingly obsequious. He’s fabulous with numbers, but terrible with people. He’s completely unstrung when Gina (Kelly MacDonald) consents first to sit opposite him in the cafe, then agrees to lunch, and finally to dinner. He lurches from indifference to infatuation with no emotional pauses in between.

Lawrence is a workaholic whose narrow and professional view of the world can’t help him interact with Gina. Baffled by romance, he extends to her the only compliment he can think of — inviting her to accompany him to the G8 conference in Iceland. Here then, another mismatch emerges, as Gina (about whom neither Laurence nor the audience knows too much) finds herself in the company of the Chancellor of the Exchequer (a brilliantly volatile Ken Stott) and eventually, the Prime Minister (Corin Redgrave). Who is Gina? What drives her?  By the time we realize, along with Lawrence, that we hardly know Gina, it may be too late for their relationship and, perhaps, for his job. The Girl in the Cafe focuses in detail on two central characters, playing out an intensely personal and moving story against the backdrop of international politics.

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

After listening to President Barack Obama’s two outstanding autobiographical memoirs Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance and The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream,  I decided to listen to Renegade: The Making of a President by Richard Wolffe for an outside viewpoint. Wolffe is a journalist and political analyst for MSNBC-TV.  

The author took me inside the mind of the gifted man who is our new President.  Although already extremely impressed with Obama’s intellect, humility, and empathy for others, this book solidified my allegiance to the world leader. In my opinion President Obama is truly a classy man.

Wolffe was allowed inside the cloistered cadre of Obama’s advisors from the beginning of his presidential campaign, through the grueling Iowa caucuses, and eventually on to victory.  Through these exclusive interviews, Wolff aptly conveyed the mutual love and respect between Obama and his trusted advisors. I had no idea that Marty Nesbitt, one of Obama’s best friends and campaign treasurer, was such an emotional man.  It was refreshing to learn that Obama valued differences of opinion among his inner circle — Rahm Emanuel (Chief of Staff), Valerie Jarrett (Senior Advisor), David Axelrod (Senior Advisor), and Pete Rouse (Senior Advisor).

Check out this gem of a book; you will be delighted and amazed. I recommend the audio version — the CD is narrated by actor and screenwriter Arthur Morey who has an uncanny ability to replicate the President’s speech patterns, as well as those of other staff members.

Elaine Johnson – Central Library

I was almost late for work because of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Don’t let the teen label fool you; this book is for adults, too. Collins delivers an intense novel with "edge of your seat" action.

The annual Hunger Games are a last man standing battle-to-the-death — in which contestants (aka "tributes") are children ages 12 – 18. The champion wins a life of luxury and extra concessions for his or her district. Tributes are selected by a lottery called "the reaping," although volunteers are also accepted.

Katniss, from the coal mining district of Appalachia, helps her family survive by illegal hunting in the local woods. When, against all odds, her younger sister’s name is drawn, Katniss volunteers instead. Her fellow tribute, Peeta, excels at the mental aspect of the games, while Katniss masters the physical. They make a devastating team, except they work with the knowledge that only one person can win. Who wins? I’m not telling!

The Hunger Games offers the ultimate in reality TV as it’s broadcast in real time from the arena, a closely controlled area of wilderness. Each year the arena holds different challenges, from freezing temperatures to a lack of water. The games definitely favor those candidates who have spent their youth in training, instead of simply surviving. The author doesn’t pull many punches as the contestants have to cope with their horrible circumstances, including sometimes brutal consequences. In one section Katniss blows up a supply depot and has to continue despite being deaf in one ear after the explosion shatters her eardrum.

Beyond the arena, Collins does a great job of painting the big picture. The decadent capital city contrasts strongly to the poverty of Katniss’ District 12, and it becomes clear that the politics are positively Orwellian. The government uses the games to control the outlying districts, until this year, when the contestants seem to turn the games against the authorities.

The annual Hunger Games may have ended, but the more important maneuverings have only begun. Unfortunately, I have to wait for the sequel (to be published this fall) to learn whether a happy ending will work out in Collins‘ desperate view of the future.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

Inda opens with the kids’ first war game of the spring, where, according to local tradition, the boys attack and the girls defend. The girls win!

Indevan-Dal Algara-Vayir, commonly known as Inda, is the second son of the local prince. As such, he will defend the family’s lands while his older brother attends court and fights for the king. This model, however, is about to change and wreak havoc on Inda’s life.

In Inda’s world, the Mongol-like Marloven tribes, who essentially grow up on horseback, have conquered and married into more courtly, settled lands. In fact, two languages are still in use — one for court and correspondence, and another for war. It took me a while to figure out all the changing, multiple titles, but it helps build a realistic culture.

In Sherwood Smith’s novel, a rich world unfolds as she details the fairly unglamorous life of an academy cadet. Upon unexpectedly being invited — along with other second sons — to the royal academy, Inda turns out to be a military genius, with an ability to see the strategic picture, even while directing tactical maneuvers. What Inda often loses track of, though, is the political scene. A victim of said politics, Inda is exiled from his beloved homeland, and finds a haven aboard ship. His strategic skills and fighting ability stand Inda in good stead in his new life, but he never forgets home.

Inda’s adventures are the center of this sprawling novel, but it also includes developments in Marloven-Hess. I often found myself reading ahead looking for chapters with Inda’s friends from the academy, or his sister Hadand and the other girls. Smith does an excellent job of showing how different people excel in different kinds of intelligences: military, emotional, political, ship-faring, scholarly, and others. I like Inda’s sister, in part because of her ability to operate well on many of these levels.

This is a big, fat, high-fantasy novel, and I’ve barely touched on the bare bones of the story here. Inda begins a terrific series, followed by The Fox and King’s Shield, which has a wide cast of characters, adventures galore, and a plot with enough twists and turns to satisfy any fantasy reader.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

With a title like this one, how could I resist picking up the book? I’m glad I did. In some ways, The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark reminded me of The Da Vinci Code and The Rule of Four. However, I found Newmark’s book much more lighthearted and entertaining, although not quite as spine-tingling.

The book takes the reader on a romp through Renaissance Venice via the Doge’s kitchen. Luciano is a street kid, scrounging to make a living by rummaging through trash piles and stealing in the Rialto, Venice’s famed marketplace. One day as he’s lifting a pomegranate, he is caught by a chef. Instead of turning him over to the authorities, the chef makes Luciano his apprentice, and so the intrigue begins as Luciano’s master is more than he first appears.

Extremely practical Luciano tells the story, and the author maintains a fairly strict point of view. Fortunately, our young cook has an insatiable curiosity and loves to spy. The Doge (who is suffering from syphilis) is searching for a book that is supposed to contain the recipe for immortality — and he’s willing to kill for it. Many other influential people, including the Borgia Pope, also express an interest in the book for other reasons. As Luciano puzzles over what and where the book might be, we get a glimpse of political maneuvering that would put Machiavelli to shame.

Newmark does a credible job of building suspense and tying up her loose ends, but the true wonder of this first novel comes from the sensory overload of Venice’s docks. We can almost hear the polyglot of languages, smell the spices and fresh produce, and see the wonders of the world. Newmark makes Venice, at the height of its power as the world’s crossroads, a character in its own right. And in the end, I was reminded that while immortality may not be contained in a book, a certain kind of magic can happen in a kitchen.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office