May 2011 Book Picks

Fans of the printed word rejoice. The books are getting better and better as the year unfolds. New picks from Otto Penzler, Lisa See, and Erik Larsen.

The Big Book of Adventure Stories edited by Otto Penzler
This is a collection of the best adventures stories of all time including “The Cisco Kid”; “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle”; “Bulldog Drummond”; “Tarzan”; “The Scarlet Pimpernel”; “Conan the Barbarian”; “Hopalong Cassidy”; “King Kong”; “Zorro”; and “The Spider”.



Dreams of Joy by Lisa See
From bestselling author Lisa See comes the emotional story of Joy, a teenager who runs away to Shanghai after her mother’s long kept secret is revealed. Joy’s mother Pearl and aunt May, both of Shanghai Girls, once loved the same man, and Joy has just learned that he is her father.


How Shakespeare Changed Everything by Stephen Marche
Few realize how much the bard has shaped the western world. In this clever reference, Esquire columnist Stephen Marche uncovers the hidden influence of Shakespeare in our culture, from book titles to invented words.



In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larsen
Erik Larsen’s simultaneous retelling of the construction of the 1895’s Chicago World’s Fair and the serial killer who preyed on young women in the area, The Devil in the White City, is arguably the most read book of last decade. Less well-known was his 2007 follow-up Thunderstruck, but Larsen is back again and with much fanfare. In The Garden of Beasts takes us to Hitler’s Germany, where American Ambassador William E. Dodd and his family become caught up in the glamor of Germany’s rise to power. When Jewish prosecution becomes clear, Dodd’s warnings to Washington are met mostly with indifference until Hitler reveals himself to be a ruthless and imbalanced leader.

Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects by Amy Stewart
In her follow up to Wicked Plants, Amy Stewart explores the creepiest, crawliest, and deadliest bugs in nature. This illustrated gem is organized from A to Z and includes fascinating facts on the 100 insects you’d least like to encounter.