The genocide trial of former Guatemalan dictator 
Efraín Rios Montt, the Army general who ruled Guatemala from 1982 to 1983, ended May 10 with a landmark conviction of genocide and crimes against humanity for the 1982 massacre of 1700 Ixil Mayan Indians who were considered sympathetic to left-wing guerrillas. The two-month trial echoed another dark episode from US-Latin American affairs - the 1954 CIA coup that deposed Guatemala's reformist President and later provoked the thirty-six-year Guatemalan Civil War. The new catalog list of Latin America Historical Fiction doesn’t have a fictional account of the Guatemalan civil war, but there is a remarkable collection of short stories, River of Lost Voices, that chronicles life in the impoverished Guatemalan towns of Santa Cruz and nearby Coban, both close to where the massacres took place. Another book on the list, Lost City Radio, is set in a fictional South American nation (Peru) where guerrillas have clashed with the government for years. The list of books begins with the 1500s and ends with a book set in Bogota, Bolivia in 2005. They are not all tales of violence. Try Gabriela Clove and Cinnamon to experience love in 1920s Brazil, or The News from Paraguay to learn about a country you may never have thought about. Mario Vargas Llosa has four books on the list, and two are my favorites. The Green House is an epic of life in Peru in the 1950s and Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter is an unforgettable semi-autobiographical novel.
APL Recommends
Books from our Booklists
Sustainable Living
By Seth Shulman ... [et al.].
"How can each of us live Cooler Smarter? While the routine decisions that shape our days-- what to have for dinner, where to shop, how to get to work-- may seem small, collectively they have a big effect on global warming. But which changes in our lifestyles might make the biggest difference to the climate? This science-based guide shows you the most effective ways to cut your own global warming emissions by twenty percent or more, and explains why your individual contribution is so vital to addressing this global problem. Cooler Smarter is based on an in-depth, two-year study by the experts at The Union of Concerned Scientists. While other green guides suggest an array of tips, Cooler Smarter offers proven strategies to cut carbon, with chapters on transportation, home energy use, diet, personal consumption, as well as how best to influence your workplace, your community, and elected officials. The book explains how to make the biggest impact and when not to sweat the small stuff. It also turns many eco-myths on their head, like the importance of locally produced food or the superiority of all hybrid cars. The advice in Cooler Smarter can help save you money and live healthier. But its central purpose is to empower you, through low carbon-living, to confront one of society's greatest threats"--
By Richard B. Alley.
Since the discovery of fire, humans have been energy users. And this is a good thing--our mastery of energy is what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom and has allowed us to be the dominant species on the planet. However, this mastery comes with a price: we are changing our environment in a profoundly negative way by heating it up. Using one engaging story after another, coupled with accessible scientific facts, world authority Richard B. Alley explores the history of energy use by humans over the centuries, gives a doubt-destroying proof that already-high levels of carbon dioxide are causing damaging global warming, and surveys the alternative energy options that are available to exploit right now. These new energy sources might well be the engines for economic growth in the twenty-first century.--From publisher description.
By Sergi Costa Duran.
Comprehensive resource on ecological health in the home and how to achieve it.Called the "new architecture for the new world," sustainable building is firmly established as an important influence on residential design. Eco House is a complete guide to the structural features and interior and exterior elements that make a house healthy for its residents and for Earth. From solar roofs to sinks that flush the toilet by recycling their gray water, there are any number of options, expensive and inexpensive, that can turn a home into an "eco-house."The book covers all of the essentials of sound bioclimatic design: Structures that works with sun and wind directions Optimum ventilation and heat recovery Green roof insulation and cooling Solar heating Geothermal heating and cooling Radiant heating Pellet-fuel heating and ventilation Photoelectric power Turbine wind power Rainwater-cistern and gray-water plumbingThis practical reference also takes readers on a room-by-room tour of hundreds of eco-friendly lifestyle options, including how to clean with chemical-free products.Home owners can make one change or plan an entire refit to take their house off the grid -- nothing is too little. In addition to the well-known measures, such as straw bales and solar panels, Eco House describes the many newer options available, providing photographs and illustrations as well as a directory of manufacturers. These include thermal and acoustic bricks, living walls, vegetable-fiber insulation and solar-sourced indoor lighting.This is a fascinating volume packed with descriptive photographs and the most current expert information.
By Frances Moore Lappé.
Lappé analyzes our failure to respond to environmental problems by identifying “seven thought traps” that sabotage efforts and “six human traits we can count on” to help us “rethink our world.”
By by Rik DeGunther.
A practical guide packed with tips and projects for increasing your home's energy efficiency while reducing costs and cutting down on waste and pollution.
By Mark Bittman.
The "Minimalist" columnist and author of How to Cook Everything outlines an eating plan that is comprised of environmentally responsible choices, in a guide that shares insight into the risks associated with livestock production.
By Climate Central.
Explains climate change-- its implications for the future, and what we can, and cannot, do to avoid further change.
By William deBuys.
Writer and conservationist deBuys takes measure of the worsening water situation in the Southwest and explains why all Americans should be concerned about aridity and climate change.
By David Johnston & Scott Gibson.
This thorough, informative, and up-to-date reference on environmentally conscious, energy-efficient home construction gives builders and architects the tools to respond to growing requests from homeowners for green houses.
By Lori Dennis.
A guide to environmentally sustainable interior design practices that offers tips on using sustainable materials, using vintage treasures, improving outdoor air quality, cleaning with nontoxic products, installing energy-efficient lighting, and applying for various types of green certifications.
By Eric Corey Freed and Kevin Daum.
By Gayla Trail.
Presents advice for home gardeners on how to grow one's own food in limited spaces, providing coverage of such topics as container plants, organic pest control, and preserving home-grown foods.
By Katherine Leiner ; photographs by Andrew Lipton.
Enhanced by recipes, a cross-country tour introduces people growing and cooking healthy, natural foods from grass-fed beef, vegetables, and grains to cheese-making and wild edibles.
By Paul Scheckel.
"Each chapter of 'Homeowner's Energy Handbook' provides a comprehensive discussion of renewable energy sources along with 'green guides' for building your own energy-saving -- and energy-producing -- equipment. Step-by-step instructions show you how to build a bicycle-powered generator, a biodiesel processor, a thermosiphon solar hot-water collector, a biogas generator, a smokeless wood-gas camp stove, and more."--
By by Pam Penick.
Homeowners spend billions of hours--and dollars--watering, mowing, and maintaining their lawns. Free yourself with this colorful, accessible guide to the basics of replacing a traditional lawn with a wide variety of easy-care, no-mow, low-water, money-saving options.
By Mark R. Tercek, Jonathan S. Adams.
What is nature worth? The answer to this question-- which traditionally has been framed in environmental terms-- is revolutionizing the way we do business. Tercek and Adams argue that nature is not only the foundation of human well-being, but also the smartest commercial investment any business or government can make. The forests, floodplains, and oyster reefs often seen simply as raw materials or as obstacles to be cleared in the name of progress are, in fact as important to our future prosperity as technology or law or business innovation.
By William F. Hewitt ; foreword by William K. Reilly.
By Colin Beavan.
Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one man's decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one year--while still living in New York City--to see if it's possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television. After this mad endeavor, Beavan explains to the rest of us how we can realistically live a more "eco-effective" and by turns more content life in an age of inconvenient truths.
By Margo True & the staff of Sunset magazine.
Draws on "Sunset magazine's" One-Block Diet blog to instruct readers on how to raise and produce all ingredients for numerous "from-scratch" meals, providing plans that include a sustainable vegetable garden, backyard bee hives, and a chicken roost.
By Tanya Denckla Cobb ; foreword by Gary Paul Nabhan ; photo essays by Jason Houston.
From Community GroundWorks in Madison, Wisconsin, to Greensgrow Farm in eastern Philadelphia, readers will learn about the motivating vision and people behind each organization. They will also find advice and guidance on everyday issues such as distribution, working with at-risk populations, fostering community, providing therapeutic assistance, and building the infrastructure to maintain new initiatives.
By Randy Florke ; with Nancy J. Becker.
"Country Living contributing editor Randy Florke shows how to decorate and renovate a home inexpensively with repurposed, restored, and recycled materials. Providing inspiration and practical information, he perfectly captures why sustainable living is important and reveals how everyone can create a home that's a harmonious with the environment as it is beautiful. What's more, 'Restore. Recycle. Repurpose.' explains how to do it without buying costly materials from far-flung places or throwing out what you already have. Room by room, Florke presents ideas, examples, and resources that are "shades of green." His approach begins with a major focus for each room, such as vanities, sinks, and tubs in the bathroom. Sharing his flea market and thrift shopping skills as well as some savvy wisdom inspired by his grandmother, Florke will help you create a welcoming, lovely, earth-friendly décor--without spending a fortune"--P. [2] of cover.
By Nick White.
Presents practical advice on ways to cut energy consumption and costs in one's home by reducing fuel and electricity use and generating energy.
By Elizabeth Rogers with Colleen Howell.
Going green doesn't mean spending big bucks on organic food, solar panels, and hybrid cars. At its core, green living is simply about moderation, efficiency, and living less expensively. Included are hundreds of habit-shifting suggestions to leave you with thousands of dollars you would otherwise never see again. These are tiny modifications that any family can make.
By Raj Patel.
Explains the political and economic reasons behind the simultaneous hunger and obesity epidemics worldwide, and describes what is being done to eliminate these disparities.
By Wendy Brown.
Provides information on ways to create a sustainable lifestyle in the suburbs, covering such topics as growing food, keeping livestock, electricity, waste disposal, health care, entertainment, education, and networking.
By Michel Nischan with Mary Goodbody.
By [[edited by Albert Ferre, Tihamer Salij] ; edited by: Actar ; translation and proofreading: Spanish to English, Cillero & De Motta, German to English, Eftychia Fountoulakis].
"Total Housing Is A Selection Of 61 Exemplary Multi-Family Residential Projects Built In Europe, North And South America, And Asia During The Real-Estate Boom Of The Last Decade, Total Housing Provides Evidence Of The Desirability Of Dense, Urban Living, It Is An Antidote To Sprawl, Total Housing Projects Are Accessible, Compact, Connective, Diverse, Economical, Flexible, Responsive, And Sustainable, Total Housing Is Compiled And Edited By Actar."--BOOK JACKET.
By David Johnston & Scott Gibson.
By Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin ; [foreword by Ian Kiernan].
By Rachel Kaplan with K. Ruby Blume.
City-dwellers across the country are finding creative new ways to live, and urban farmers are reclaiming heirloom agrarian practices as strategies for responsible living. Get to know real people who are changing their lives and the lives of their neighbors through the urban homesteading movement.
APL Recommends Blog
Thursday, May 23
by: carolyn.rogers
Monday, May 20
by: dean.smith
I was reading movie critic David Thomson’s latest, The Big Screen: The Story of the Movies (2012), and enjoying it so much that I checked out a bunch more of his books including The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood, but after a few pages of that one, I decided I'd had enough of Thomson's style for now. Maybe another time.
But I did get past the dedication page, and near it are some quotations from people involved in making movies, one of them Gore Vidal, who said “Find out the movies a man saw between ten and fifteen, which ones he liked, disliked, and you would have a pretty good idea of what sort of mind and temperament he has.” I’m sure Vidal meant women, too, so I checked Wikipedia (sorry library gods) for lists of movies made from 1966 through 1971, the years I turned 10 and 15.
My first revelation was that I don’t remember seeing many first-run movies before 1968. I must have, but the earliest, and one of the few that sticks, is Goldfinger, 1964, and I remember it not for gold lamé nudity, but for my sister and me in our jammies in the back of the car trying to sneak a peek at the drive-in screen through the bucket seats of my dad’s Grand Prix. I better remember watching old movies on our tiny Zenith portable TV with a wire hangar antenna, pliers for changing the channel, and a green-tinted screen, and I remember the jingle from KNXT in Los Angeles:
The Late Show / Relax enjoy a snack and watch / The Late Show / Channel 2 is proud to bring the greatest of stars / Here on the great Late Show
(I wish I could link to the tune for you, but it’s nowhere. If you come to the library and ask for me, I'll sing it to you, if you have a library card.)
Late-night movies in those days were beat-up prints from the 30s and 40s—the Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, Basil Rathbone as Sherlock, Fred and Ginger, Errol Flynn buckling swash, Hope and Crosby, Dean and Jerry, and Bogie. Those movies affected my development; I freely admit I am a Marxist. But doing this exercise made me realize that until 1968 I was either too young, too broke, or too dumb to pay attention to new releases. After 1968 is a different story.
NEXT: Lists of movies. And don’t we all love those?
Saturday, May 18
Many of you may know that this year is the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. Austen wrote the novel in 1797-98, originally calling it First Impressions. Her father attempted to have it published, but the manuscript was rejected. It was not until her first novel, Sense and Sensibility was published in 1812 that Pride and Prejudice was accepted. By that time, another author had published their novel called First Impressions. Austen found another title for her book from a quote in fellow female author Fanny Burney’s novel, Cecila. Thus Pride and Prejudice was born. The novel was an instant success and has proved to be her most popular novel.
While we know much about her life from records and her own letters, there are aspects of her life of which we know nothing because her sister destroyed letters after the author’s death in 1817 in order to protect family privacy. Scholars and authors can only speculate what the subjects of those letters were and what dimensions they could have added to our understanding of Jane Austen.
By Jane Austen:
Jane Austen's Letters by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice: An Annotated Edition by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice (DVD) Miniseries starring Colin Firth
Based on Jane Austen:
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange
Lost in Austen (DVD) Miniseries starring Jemima Rooper
Friday, May 17
by: betsey.blanche
The Twitter feed “Fake Library Stats” recently tweeted “After complaining the pituitary glands of 63% of librarians secrete a hormone that is necessary to keep them alive.” Sure, there’s a stereotype that we librarians like to complain but we can also be overwhelmingly positive when it comes to resources we offer. And I’m about to be super positive about the fact that I just read a library book and did not enjoy it at all.
The Library’s Graphic Novel Book Club just finished reading and discussing Yuichi Yokoyama’s Garden. In Garden, a large group of people with strange masks and costumes on explore a strange garden and describe what they see in terse sentences. That goes on for 300 pages in which none of the characters are developed and nothing really happens in a conventional plot kind of way. As a result, I was feeling nervous before the meeting. I couldn’t think of a single productive thing to say about it. Worse, I was reminded of a frustrating, non-library book club meeting I’d attended to discuss Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore in which most participants could only comment on the weirdness of the novel. Was that going to be me?! After finishing the reading all I could think was, “Huh. Well. I just don’t . . . What?! I don’t get it. It’s weird.” Neither articulate nor a good way to start a conversation. I felt like I was missing something. But this is one of the best things to happen to a book club because it this case everyone felt the same way and was more than willing to talk about how much they disliked the reading experience and why. It turns out this makes for a much more fruitful conversations than when everyone unanimously enjoys a book. In those cases all you can do is say, “yeah, it was good. I liked the art and the characters and the story. Yup.”
I’m willing to consider the possibility that I really just didn’t get it. So give it a try for yourself and see! Maybe ask some friends to read it too. It might result in a heated debate if one of you loves it. Or, you might just have a pleasant time complaining about how annoying it was. Either way is pretty fun.
Side note: Graphic Novel Book Club is free and open to the public. We meet on the third Wednesday of every month at Jo's Coffee Downtown and you can find our reading list on the Events page of the Library's website.
Thursday, May 16
by: carolyn.rogers
The 2010 novel Anthill is a fictional account of an Alabama backwoods boy who grows up to be a Harvard lawyer fighting to save the woodlands of his childhood, the West Nokobee Tract at the edge of William Ziebach National Forest. It is a privately owned tract of longleaf pine savanna. It becomes his secret place and he bicycles into it every chance he gets to escape his parent's troubled marriage. The woodlands and the national forest are fictional but the ecology is not. Longleaf pine forests are the most diverse ecosystem in North America, with 500 species per square kilometer. In the novel, the eminent Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson tells a southern coming-of-age story while persuading Americans, and especially Southerners, to protect our vanishing natural environment and wildlife.
E.O Wilson also wrote the forward to Longleaf, Far as the Eye Can See: A New Vision of North America's Richest Forest which offers 11 essays on these forests, including numerous photographs that cultivate appreciation for the beauty of the tree itself; of the unique species it supports; and of the breathtaking landscape it creates.
Longleaf pine savanna is one of the only ecosystems that is both forest and meadow. The book reveals this dynamic system in panoramic images of golden light filtering through trees and illuminating long grasses beneath. And there's no shortage of close-ups. Longleaf was once so common that it was hardly remarked upon, and ecologists are only now beginning to understand the forest that once covered 90 million acres of North America and now covers only 3 million acres, some of it in Texas. The final sections of the book detail potential restoration solutions for the longleaf that remains. Longleaf is not a story of loss, but one of deep reverence for the grandeur and mystery of these regions.
Using your Austin Public Library card you can read both books together.
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By Melina Marchetta.
2009 Printz Winner
Abandoned by her drug-addicted mother at the age of eleven, high school student Taylor Markham struggles with her identity and family history at a boarding school in Australia.
