detroit

Though many may think that all of Detroit can be captured in one story, it is not possible. The following books are set in Detroit and represent just a taste of the varied culture and people of the city. As said in an article for the Guardian by Anna Clark, "Detroit inspires painstaking realism, stories of the supernatural, riveting non-fiction, and unclassifiable imaginative works. In a city celebrated for its history of making things, the Detroit literary arts are overdue for attention."

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Also available in: audiobook | e-audiobook

A dazzling triumph from the bestselling author of The Virgin Suicides - the astonishing tale of a gene that passes down through three generations of a Greek-American family and flowers in the body of a teenage girl. In the spring of 1974, Calliope Stephanides, a student at a girls' school in Grosse Pointe, finds herself drawn to a chain-smoking, strawberry blond clasmate with a gift for acting. The passion that furtively develops between them - along with Callie's failure to develop - leads Callie to suspect that she is not like other girls. In fact, she is not really a girl at all.The explanation for this shocking state of affairs takes us out of suburbia- back before the Detroit race riots of 1967, before the rise of the Motor City and Prohibition, to 1922, when the Turks sacked Smyrna and Callie's grandparents fled for their lives. Back to a tiny village in Asia Minor where two lovers, and one rare genetic mutation, set in motion the metamorphosis that will turn Callie into a being both mythical and perfectly real: a hermaphrodite.Spanning eight decades - and one unusually awkward adolescence- Jeffrey Eugenides's long-awaited second novel is a grand, utterly original fable of crossed bloodlines, the intricacies of gender, and the deep, untidy promptings of desire. It marks the fulfillment of a huge talent, named one of America's best young novelists by both Granta and The New Yorker .

The dollmaker by Harriette Louisa Simpson Arnow

Strong-willed, self-reliant Gertie Nevels's peaceful life in the Kentucky hills is devastated by the brutal winds of change. Uprooted from her backwoods home, she and her family are thrust into the confusion and chaos of wartime Detroit. And in a pitiless world of unendurable poverty, Gertie will battle fiercely and relentlessly to protect those things she holds most dear -- her children, her heritage . . . and her triumphant ability to create beauty in the suffocating shadow of ugliness and despair

Detroit 1967 : Origins, Impacts, Legacies by Dewitt (CON) Roy (CON)/ Dykes Bill (CON)/ Finkenbine Joel (EDT)/ Mcgraw Thomas J. (FRW)/ Stone Sugrue
Scrapper by Matt Bell

For fans of The Dog Stars and Station Eleven , Scrapper traces one man's desperate quest for redemption in a devastated Detroit. "Has the feel of Cormac McCarthy's The Road set in present-day Motor City... powerful." -- Publishers Weekly Detroit has descended into ruin. Kelly scavenges for scrap metal from the hundred thousand abandoned buildings in a part of the city known as "the zone," an increasingly wild landscape where one day he finds something far more valuable than the copper he's come to steal: a kidnapped boy, crying out for rescue. Briefly celebrated as a hero, Kelly secretly avenges the boy's unsolved kidnapping, a task that will take him deeper into the zone and into a confrontation with his own past and long-buried traumas. The second novel from the acclaimed author of In the House upon the Dirt between the Lake and the Woods , Scrapper is a devastating reimagining of one of America's greatest cities, its beautiful architecture, its lost houses, shuttered factories, boxing gyms, and storefront churches. With precise, powerful prose, it asks: What do we owe for our crimes, even those we've committed to protect the people we love?

A motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing banks as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective.

Descriptions of 40 of the greatest recreational rides in the Detroit and Ann Arbor areas. Road rides, rail trails, bike paths, and single-track mountain bike rides all get included. Most rides are in the 5 to 35 mile range, allowing for great afternoon outings and family adventures.

In 1958 Detroit, on Alder Avenue, neighbors struggle to care for neighbors amid a city ripe with conflicts that threaten their peaceful street. Grace, Alder's only expectant mother, eagerly awaits her first born. Best friend Julia prepares to welcome twin nieces. And Malina sets the tone with her stylish dresses, tasteful home, and ironfisted stewardship of St. Alban's bake sale. Life erupts when childlike Elizabeth disappears while in the care of Grace and Julia.

Don't look for me by Loren D Estleman

Amos Walker doesn't mean to walk into trouble. But sometimes it finds him, regardless. The missing woman has left a handwritten note that said, "Don't look for me." Any P.I. would take that as a challenge, especially when he found out that she'd left the same message once before, when having an illicit affair. But this time it's different. The trail leads Walker to an herbal remedies store, where the beautiful young clerk knows nothing about the dead body in the basement . . . or about any illegal activity that might be connected to the corpse.

Mr. Paradise : a novel by Elmore Leonard

Say Nice Things About Detroit!

Detroit turns 313 this year! The city was founded on July 24, 1701 by the French explorer Antoine Laumet de Lamothe Cadillac. Originally named Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit, its name was shortened by the British after they had gained control of the settlement during the French and Indian War. The city is known throughout the world as both an automotive center and the birthplace of some of the world's best known musical talent. Several nicknames have been attached to Detroit throughout its long history: Motown, Hockeytown, the Motor City, the City of Champions, and the Arsenal of Democracy all reflect the city's acheivements. Although the city has undergone some tough times in recent years, Detroit can be proud of its contributions to both the country - and the world. Several new books and films have been produced recently about the city's current problems, but there is much to celebrate as well.

Lions and Tigers and Red Wings, Oh My!

Michigan is lucky to be home to many successful sports teams - both professional and collegiate. The Detroit Tigers, Red WIngs, Lions, and Pistons are all among the longest running franchises in their sports and have won several championships between them. In fact, in 1935, Detroit was nicknamed the City of Champions when the Tigers, Lions and Red Wings all won the first championships in their respective sport that year.

Green Opportunities in the City of Detroit

In honor of Earth Week, which includes Earth Day and Arbor Day, we will have representatives from The Greening of Detroit on hand to discuss what they are doing to transform the physical, and metaphorical, landscape of Detroit. For over two decades, this non-profit organization has been instrumental in spear-heading green initiatives, most notably the repatriation of trees, in conjunction with the City of Detroit and Detroit Public Schools. If you are interested in learning about an innovative and fun project focused on the revitalization of the city, and how you can get involved, please join us on April 24 from 7:00-8:00 PM for this event. There will be the opportunity to sign up for tree-planting and park clean-up volunteer activities as well as enroll in the Citizen Forester program. Check out the Greening on Channel 7 News and in the Detroit Free Press. See the attached document for more details.

Canton Seniors Book Discussion Group January-June 2014

Looking for a lively book discussion? The Canton Seniors Book Discussion Group meets on the fourth Thursday of the month from 2:00-3:00PM in Group Study Room A at Canton Public Library. 

January 23              Annie's Ghosts: A Journey into a Family's Secret by Steve Luxenberg

February 27           The Closers by Michael Connelly

March 27                Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff

April 24                   The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

May 22                     Crank by Ellen Hopkins

June 26                    The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

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