Patch Picks: Books

Despite the growth of e-book readers, people flock to book stores in poor weather because readers love the gratification a good book provides. There’s a certain pleasure in holding the weight of a book in your hand, turning the page, finding your last place.

Winter comes with a certain degree of cabin fever. The snow leaves his homebound and there’s only so many times we can watch the same episode of that same sitcom. The internet provides us with boundless distractions, but after a while that too becomes (amazingly) repetitive. When you can’t find anywhere to park – or can’t get out of your parking space in the first place --  pick up a book. They’re still out there.

Here’s a few Patch Picks from the local Borders bookstore on Schlosser Street. Some are classics, some are new, but all are great reads.

Fiction

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King. Horror fans will like this collection of four novellas. This book has won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Collection and is still on the NYT best seller list despite being published in 2010. None of the stories deal with supernatural elements; they’re true thrillers, and carry consistent themes of justice and closure.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Borders’s display for best selling Young Adult novels has this classic on the very top shelf, with its purposely designed Twilight look-alike cover. It’s refreshing to see this classic up there, especially when a quick glance at the Young Adult section is inundated with vampire-related titles. Jane Eyre is true gothic literature at its best: a young heroine, a history of abuse, a desperate romance, a creepy setting, and a dark secret.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck. This is a classic American novel that explores the themes of nature vs. nurture, familial bonds, and what it means to be “good.” Steinbeck considered East of Eden to be his greatest novel, and anyone who reads it can see why. It became an Oprah’s Book Club pick over fifty years after its publication date. Those looking for a light read may want to skip this novel, though; it’s lengthy and intricate, but beautiful and enthralling.

Side Jobs by Jim Butcher. A Patch personal pick and a certified “fast read,” the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher are the ultimate “rainy day” books. They center around a wizard – who just happens to be a private detective – and the lives of those people who have experienced the misfortune of befriending him. The genre is “Sci-Fi/Fantasy” but they tend to stray into contemporary fantasy, humor, and mystery as well. This particular title is a great book for those not familiar with the series because it’s comprised of several short stories centering on the series’ main character, some of which have never been in print before.

Non Fiction

Eat This, Not That! 2010 version by David Zinczenko. These diet and health books are fantastic for the “realistic” dieter that knows eating out is sometimes unavoidable. The book offers healthier alternatives to everyone’s favorite restaurant’s top dishes and grocery store items. The book’s website calls it a “weight loss coach in your pocket,” and that couldn’t be more true – it’s small, portable, and an absolute necessity for on-the-go dieters who can’t be bothered to bring a ziplock bag of carrot sticks with them everywhere.

Pinheads and Patriots: Where you Stand in the Age of Obama by Bill O’Reilly. This hard-hitting book has been on the best-sellers table for weeks now. This is O’Reilly’s sixth bestseller and isn’t pulling any punches while remaining thought-provoking and charismatic.

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow. Biography lovers will enjoy this incredibly detailed life story of one of our nation’s founding father. Chernow is a reknown biographer and American history buff.