More Than Just Books

Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux

2009-04-18T07:37:00.001-05:00

Lavender Morning is the first in the exciting new Edilean series by Jude Deveraux. Joce Minton, daughter of a Williamsburg, Va., debutante and a handyman, is alienated from her family after her widowed father marries a woman who is decidedly not debutante material and has a pair of selfish twins. Joce ends up in the care of an elderly neighbor, Miss Edi, who watches over the girl through college. When Miss Edi dies, she leaves Joce an ancestral manor house and a trove of secrets going back to 1941 that compel Joce to visit Edilean, Va., where she meets the local color, including a sexy lawyer and his sexier gardener cousin who has a secret or two, himself. Alternating WWII battlefront tragedy with contemporary romance, Deveraux packs in something for every generation. There is an intriguing mystery and of course the love story that will offer something for everyone. I enjoyed the story and appreciated the slow pace that nonetheless kept me interested. I love forward the next story.

Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin

2009-04-17T12:24:00.001-05:00

In 12th-century England, a fire at Glastonbury Abbey one of England's holiest sites uncovers an ancient box containing the skeletons of a man and a woman. King Henry II calls on his "mistress of the Art of Death," Adelia Aguilar, to identify the bones. The devastated community of Glastonbury, as well as King Henry, would like them to be Arthur and Guinevere. Adelia enlists her regular cadre of companions (Mansur, Gyltha, and daughter Allie) to help her investigate. Franklin's third entry in her medieval historical series (after Mistress of the Art of Death and The Serpent's Tale) re-creates a living, breathing past populated with entertaining characters. This medieval Arthurian mystery is fascinating on many levels and very readable. I have found the series to be a wonderful read and characters are well drawn with incredible historical details. If you have not read this series, it is one I would heartily suggest.

Laura Rider's Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton

2009-04-15T12:15:00.001-05:00

Jane Hamilton is one of my favorite authors. Her Book of Ruth (an Oprah choice) is also on my top 10 favorite novels. Her latest Laura Rider's Masterpiece is a bit of a departure for her. Laura Rider and her husband, Charlie, live in Hartley, Wis., where they own and run Prairie Wind Farm. After 12 years of marriage, Laura decides to stop sleeping with Charlie, and although lovemaking is his one superb talent, she's convinced she's used up her quota. Also, Laura has a secret fantasy: to be an author. After she meets local public radio host Jenna Faroli, Laura decides to write a romance and encourages a flirtation between Charlie and Jenna, an experiment that she thinks will help her write her book. This novel is populated with very unique characters who are humorous but the plot is predictable. Not one of my favorite novels, but she is still a top novelist.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-04-15T10:31:00.003-05:00

For all you Harry Potter fans out there, the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is being released 2 days earlier than scheduled. It will now be released on Wednesday July 15th. In case you're wondering where I got this information, I found out about it on Associated Press. Here is what it says: "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" now is opening Wednesday, July 15, two days earlier than its previous release date, Warner Bros. head of distribution Dan Fellman said Tuesday."

Execution Dock by Anne Perry

2009-04-14T12:05:00.005-05:00

Most of you know that Anne Perry writes two very unique and satifying series. Her Thomas Pitt series began in 1979 with The Cater Street Hangman and William Monk in 1990 with The Face of a Stranger. I have read both series but am very partial to William Monk and Crimean nurse Hester Latterly. The lastest Monk story is Execution Dock and was just released. When a thirteen-year-old boy is found floating in the river Thames with his throat slit, William Monk, superintendent of the Thames River Police, pursues a child pornographer who runs a sex ring using small boys. Monk's wife Hester and several memorable characters make this a richly complex story. Monk and his wife are very intriguing characters full of human vulnerablilies. The stories also give a very detailed feel of London in the 1800's.

May Movies

2009-04-08T09:55:00.002-05:00

I'm one of those people that likes to know what's coming to the theater's in advance. There are some notable movies coming out in May. Coming out May 1st is X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This has been in the news as of late because an early version was leaked online. This gives background to the other X-Men movies about the character Wolverine. Coming out May 8th is Star Trek. This movie also gives background to Captain Kirk, Spock and other crew members before they boldly go where no one has gone before. Angels & Demons comes to theater's May 15th, based on Dan Brown's book of the same title. This does star Tom Hanks. Last but not least is Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian coming out May 22nd. I'm hoping it to be as good as the first one. I can hardly wait!

Heart and Soul

2009-03-31T15:16:00.003-05:00

Maeve Binchy transported me to Dublin in her new book Heart and Soul. It was a wonderful book to read especially in the month of March. Irish pride is very prevalent in Chicago with parades, revelers and the kelly green Chicago River. The main character of Heart and Soul is Clara Casey. She is a cardiologist whose marriage and career have fallen apart. When Dr. Clara Casey becomes manager of the controversial and woefully unsupported outpatient heart clinic, she swiftly assembles a motley supporting staff of charismatic doctors, compassionate nurses, capable therapists, and clever assistants. Though she stands at the center of the book, Clara cedes the stage to others, such as Declan Carroll, a young doctor at the clinic trying to make a life for himself, Ania, Clara's assistant, whose affair with a married man forced her to leave her Polish hometown, Fiona, the beautiful nurse who beguiles Declan and a bumbling parish priest being pursued by a devious con artist. Binchy once again engages readers through a reassuring and persuasive combination of gracious warmth, gentle humor, and genuine affection. She reintroduces some of the characters from her previous novels and completes the circle of writing for her many fans.

National Book Critics Circle Winners

2009-03-19T14:26:00.002-05:00

The National Book Critics Circle, founded in 1974, is a nonprofit organization consisting of more than 900 active book reviewers who are interested in honoring quality writing and communicating with one another about common concerns. The late Roberto Bolano's 2666 received the fiction prize Thursday night. Other winners included:
Autobiography: My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish past in Kurdish Iraq by Ariel Sabar
General nonfiction: The Forever War by Dexter Filkins
Biography: The World is What it is: The Authorized Biography of V. S. Naipul by Patrick French
Criticism: Children's Literature: A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter by Seth Lerer
Poetry: Sleeping it Off in Rapid City by August Kleinzahler & Half the World in Light by Juan Felipe Herrera.
Please visit National Book Critics

BookMooch

2009-03-12T17:07:00.005-05:00

I recently came across a website for a great service called BookMooch. It's basically an exchange site for people who love to read. Their tagline..."BookMooch lets you give away books you no longer need in exchange for books you really want."

Find out more about it by visiting the website: http://bookmooch.com/

Australia Review

2009-03-11T10:11:00.005-05:00

I finished watching the movie Australia that was recently released on DVD at the beginning of March. I really liked this movie. It was much different than what I thought it was going to be: a romantic movie set in Australia. It was much more than that. The romance between Kidman and Jackman is there, but it doesn't take over the film. The film focuses on a little Aboriginal boy who is part of the stolen generation. It is about land, cattle and Australia's entrance into WWII. It is a solid film. One worth watching, even though it's 163 minutes long. Check out the trailer and enjoy the film. Put it on hold at WNPL.

Pride and Prejudice

2009-03-11T08:29:00.002-05:00

Calling all Jane-ites... Milwuakee Rep is now portraying Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice. For more information see their website at:
http://www.milwaukeerep.com/season/performancedetails.php?ID=135

Meet Author Stephanie Kuehnert

2009-03-05T17:18:00.002-06:00

Meet Chicago-based twenty-something writer Stephanie Kuehnert, author of “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone,” when she visits on Sat., March 14, at 2 p.m.

From her start writing self-described “bad 8th grade poetry” to her search for inspiration around the Midwest, Kuehnert will lead a fascinating discussion about her writing. Books will be available for purchase and signing, and are recommended for adults and high school ages. Sign up here…

Dating da Vinci by Malena Lott

2009-03-04T18:46:00.001-06:00

Linguist Ramona Elise Griffen, an Austin widow in her mid 30s is renting the studio out back (her late husband's) to a robust, 25-year-old Italian immigrant student named Leonardo da Vinci. He is homeless, hungry and unemployed. Da Vinci is also gorgeous and full of joy and spontaneity. Ramona has been grieving for two years and trying to find her way back to "Normal" ("The world is divided into two types of people: Grievers and Normals"). She has cared for their two young boys and taken comfort in junk food, but when da Vinci enters the picture, she finds herself reinvigorated. Soon, she's also unwittingly caught the eye of the kind and debonair local doctor who's dating Ramona's pretentious younger sister. Lott very cleverly includes passages from Ramona's doctoral thesis on the language of love and never falters in her depiction of Ramona's overwhelming grief, tackling honestly her guilt over her new found happiness. I simply could not put this book down. I felt it was fresh, honest and very well written. It pure romance escapism yet satisfying and uplifting. Curl up and read this book!

Happy Birthday Max Allan Collins

2009-03-03T14:38:00.002-06:00

We were fortunate to have met Max last summer when he was here talking about his latest novel. He was born March 3, 1948 and he is a prolific American mystery writer who has been called "mystery's Renaissance man". He has written novels, screenplays, comic books, comic strips, trading cards, short stories, movie novelizations and historical fiction. He wrote the graphic novel Road to Perdition (which was developed into a film in 2002), created the comic book private eye Ms. Tree, and took over writing the Dick Tracy comic strip from creator Chester Gould and one of the Batman comic books for a time. He is a wonderful author who creates interesting scenarios and even better characters.

Coming Soon

2009-03-02T14:25:00.001-06:00

Three very popular authors will be releasing new novels in the next week. These are all on order at the Warren-Newport Public Library and available for holds.

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
Picoult's 16th novel deals with how expectant parent will tell you that they don't want a perfect baby, just a healthy one. Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe would have asked for a healthy baby, too, if they'd been given the choice. Instead, their lives are made up of sleepless nights, mounting bills, the pitying stares of "luckier" parents, and maybe worst of all, the what-ifs.

Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer
George Mallory once told an American reporter that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, “because it’s there.” On his third attempt in 1924, at age thirty-seven, he was last seen six hundred feet from the top. His body was found in 1999, and it still remains a mystery whether he ever reached the summit.

Temptation and Surrender by Stephanie Laurens
Twenty-five-year-old Emily Beauregard escapes her hateful uncle's house with her four younger siblings and settles in Colyton, getting a job as the manager of Red Bells Inn, a rundown establishment in need of an overhaul. She is drawn to her new boss, Jonas Tallent, a dashing, wealthy aristocrat and Cynster relation, who returns Emily's affections, but Emily can't be distracted from what she came to Colyton for to find her family's long-lost treasure and regain her status in society.

Temptation of the Night Jasmine

2009-02-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

Lauren Willig is a favorite of many here in the library. We've been following her Pink Carnation series, and were eagerly anticipating the latest one - Temptation of the Night Jasmine featuring Lady Charlotte Lansdowne and her distant cousin Robert. It does not disappoint. Here is a snippet from one of the reviews:

Willig spins another sultry spy tale in her fifth installment of the Pink Carnation series. When Robert, duke of Dovedale, returns after more than a decade abroad, Lady Charlotte Lansdowne hopes the romantic world of her novels will soon come to life in the form of a love story between her and Robert. But the duke has come back from India to track Arthur Wrothan, a spy who killed Robert's mentor, and though his and Charlotte's reunion culminates in a blaze of kisses, he abandons her to track down his nemesis. On the trail, Robert cavorts with the Hellfire Club, which holds opium-fueled orgies that provide cover for Wrothan. In the meantime, Charlotte's efforts to help the king throw her again into Robert's path. The story unfolds within the frame of a contemporary love affair between Eloise, a Harvard graduate student researching spies of the late 18th and early 19th century, and Colin Selwick, descendant of one of the spies who so pique Eloise's interest. The author's conflation of historical fact, quirky observations and nicely rendered romances results in an elegant and grandly entertaining book.

Happy Birthday Elizabeth George

2009-02-26T11:51:00.001-06:00

Born February 26, 1949 in Warren, Ohio. She is a graduate of University of California in Riverside. She also attended California State University at Fullerton, where she was awarded a master's degree in Counseling/Psychology and an honorary doctorate of humane letters

Professionally, she started out as a teacher. She was employed at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana initially, but there she gave in to her bent for organized labor and was summarily fired along with ten other teachers for union activity. She moved on to El Toro High School in El Toro, California (now called Lake Forest, California), where she remained for the rest of her career as high school English teacher. While employed there, she was selected Orange County Teacher of the Year, a tribute in part to the work she'd done with remedial students for nearly a decade. While teaching a class on mystery novels she began to play around with writing. She has managed to stay a bestselling authors ever since. When Elizabeth George's first novel, A Great Deliverance, was published in 1988, reviewers showered it with accolades and marveled at the accurate depiction of British life and mores by a Californian. The novel garnered George nominations for a Macavity Award and an Edgar and won the Anthony and Agatha Awards as well as Le Grande Prix de Littèrature Policière in France. Her Thomas Lynley series is wonderful and if you haven't read them, I would suggest trying one. Her latest in the series is Careless in Red and finds Thomas Lynley struggling after a personal crisis. Her newest novel, Two of the deadliest: New Tales of Lust, Greed, and Murder from Outstanding Women of Mystery is due out in July.

Agatha Award Nominees

2009-02-25T14:20:00.002-06:00

The Agatha Awards are literary awards for mystery and crime writers who write mystery novels in the traditional method exemplified by Agatha Christie. They are named for Agatha Christie, the best selling mystery writer of all time. At an annual convention in Washington, D.C., the Agatha Awards are handed out by Malice Domestic Ltd, in five categories: Best Novel; Best First Mystery; Best Short Story; Best Non-Fiction; Best Children's/Young Adult Mystery. We will post the winners when they are announced.

For 2008 the nominees are:
Best Novel:
Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews (Minotaur Books)
A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen (Penguin Group)
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)
Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry (Random House)
I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Minotaur Books)

Best First Novel:
Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell (Berkley Trade)
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis (Penguin Group)
Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris (Minotaur Books)
Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet (Midnight Ink)
Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan (Midnight Ink)

Best Non-fiction:
African American Mystery Writers: A Historical & Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey (McFarland & Co.)
How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries by Kathy Lynn Emerson (Perseverance Press)
Anthony Boucher, A Bibliography by Jeff Marks (McFarland & Co.)
Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories by Dr. Harry Lee Poe (Metro Books)
The Suspicions of Mr. Whitcher by Kate Summerscale (Walker & Co.)

Best Short Story:
"The Night Things Changed" by Dana Cameron, Wolfsbane & Mistletoe (Penguin Group)
"Killing Time" by Jane Cleland, Alfred Hitchock Mystery Magazine - November 2008
"Dangerous Crossing" by Carla Coupe, Chesapeake Crimes 3 (Wildside Press)
"Skull & Cross Examination" by Toni Kelner, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - February 2008
"A Nice Old Guy" by Nancy Pickard, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - August 2008

Best Children's/Young Adult:
Into the Dark by Peter Abrahams (Harper Collins)
A Thief in the Theater (A Kit Mystery) by Sarah Masters Buckey (American Girl Publishers)
The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein (Random House Children's Books)
The Great Circus Train Robbery by Nancy Means Wright (Hilliard & Harris)

Very Valentine

2009-02-24T10:27:00.001-06:00

Very Valentine is a first in a new trilogy by Adriana Trigiani. Adriana introduces us to the families of Roncalli and Angelini who reside in Greenwich Village, New York. Thirty three-year-old Valentine attempts to save her family's custom shoe business while dealing with family and relationship dramas set against the backdrop of New York City and Italy. If she's going to realize her dream of becoming a master shoemaker, Valentine must come up with a plan to rescue the financially troubled family wedding shoe business and prevent her brother from selling the building (located in Greenwich Village and worth millions) for a quick profit. In addition, Valentine has a new man in her life, sexy restaurateur Roman, who is just as dedicated to his business as Valentine is to hers leaving little time for romance. In the midst of it all, Valentine travels to Italy with her grandmother Theodora to buy supplies and later rendezvous with Roman for her birthday. Things go well for Valentine professionally, but her personal life is more up in the air. The relationship between Valentine and her grandmother is lovely and more than makes up for Valentine's troubled romance. There is plenty of material left for Adriana to fill her next two novels. Adriana visited our library a few years back and she is absolutely delightful. She is very kind and after meeting her you wish she lived next door.

And the Oscar Goes To....

2009-02-24T09:00:00.000-06:00

Here are the winners of the 81st Academy Awards:

Performance by an actor in a leading role: Sean Penn in "Milk"

Performance by an actor in a supporting role: Heath Ledger in "Dark Knight"

Performance by an actress in a leading role: Kate Winslet in "The Reader"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role: Penelope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

Best Animated feature film: WALL-E

Best Motion Picture of the year: Slumdog Millionaire

Best foreign film of the year: Departures (Japan)

Dogs and Goddesses

2009-02-23T10:11:00.002-06:00

In the past few years I have seen more and more authors collaborating with other authors in writing novels. James Patterson certainly comes to mind as one that uses several different authors to write with. Dogs and Goddesses was written by Jennifer Cruise, Anne Stuart and Lani Diane Rich.
Abby has just arrived in Summerville, Ohio with her Newfoundland, Bowser. She has inherited her grandmother's coffee house, but it doesn't take her long before she finds her grandmother's recipes and begins baking magical cookies. Then there's Daisy, a web code writer and her hyperactive Jack Russell, Bailey and finally there's Shar, professor of ancient history who wakes up to find her dachshund, Wolfie growling at an Mesopotamia god. There is fun and laughs aplenty when the three women and three dogs must stop an ancient goddess from taking over the world.

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-02-22T10:41:00.001-06:00

I believe this movie is considered something of a sleeper that has gathered huge respect and interest since its release. This British film was adapted from the Boeke Prize winning and Commonwealth writers Prize nominated novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup. Set and filmed in India, Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" and exceeds people's expectations, arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials. This thought provoking movie was filmed in India.

The Reader

2009-02-21T10:36:00.001-06:00

The Reader is based on the 1995 German novel by Bernhard Schlink. It tells the story of Michael Berg, (played by David Kross) a German lawyer who as a teenager in the late 1950s had an affair with an older woman, Hanna Schmitz,(played by Kate Winslet) who then disappeared only to resurface years later as one of the defendants in a war crimes trial stemming from her actions as a concentration camp guard late in the war. Michael realizes that Hanna is keeping a secret she believes is worse than her Nazi past, a secret that may cost her at the trial. This was the last film for producers Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack.

Milk

2009-02-20T10:31:00.001-06:00

Sean Penn embodies the role of Harvey Milk. This film tells the story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated. It has garnered much critical praise.

Frost/Nixon

2009-02-19T10:20:00.002-06:00

This interesting movie is based on the television interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon on Watergate in 1977. I saw a recent interview with director Ron Howard, who talked about seeing this on stage and was determined to bring the same intensity to the screen.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-02-19T10:15:00.002-06:00

We will be showcasing the best picture nominees the next few days. The Academy Awards will be telecast this Sunday, February 22, 2009.
The first entry is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This movie was inspired by the 1921 short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
On November 11, 1918, just as the people of New Orleans are celebrating the end of World War I, a baby boy is born with the appearance and physical maladies of an elderly man. The mother of the baby dies shortly after giving birth, and the father, Thomas Button, takes the baby and abandons him on the porch of a nursing home. And so begins this fascinating look of Benjamin Button.

Romance Writer-Mary Balogh

2009-02-18T11:15:00.004-06:00

Though it is past Valentine's Day, but still in February, I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce one of my favorite romance writers. Mary Balogh is a popular and well-regarded Regency author who does not shy away from confronting difficult themes in her works. She is best known for her "Slightly" series which includes six Bedwyn stories which were created from a family of six brothers and sisters. These characters were first introduced in A Summer to Remember. Mary has now taken on a herculean endeavor. She will publish four books in four months. The titles are:
Seducing an Angel
First Comes Marriage
Then Comes Seduction
At Last Comes Love
These titles are all on order in our library catalog. Enjoy!!

He's Just Not That Into You Review

2009-02-16T14:40:00.003-06:00

I went to see the movie He’s Just Not That Into You last week. I was curious to see how the movie would turn out since it’s based on a non-fiction book of the same name. (Which I actually read before watching the movie). Overall, I really liked the movie. Critics have been giving the movie a poor review (a 2 out of 4 at best). Yet the actual movie watchers give it a much higher rating. I think lots of people will enjoy this movie. Find the book called He's just not that into you: the no-excuses truth to understanding guys by Greg Behrendt on the shelf at WNPL call number 306.7 BEH. You decide.

What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

2009-02-13T07:57:00.001-06:00

Chicago author, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is an award winning novelist. She was one of the first romance authors that placed her characters in contemporary times (Chicago football) and did it was a great deal of humor. I always look forward to her novels with anticipation and certainly with her latest, What I did for Love. A down-on-her-luck movie actres, Georgie York runs into her detestable former co-star--dreamboat-from-hell Bramwell Shepard--in Las Vegas and gets caught up in a ridiculous incident that leads to a calamitous elopement. The two of them must deal with past transgressions and disappointments before they get to the happily ever after parts. I must admit I was a bit disappointed. If you like gossipy Hollywood stories then this is for you. I felt it smacked of Angelina Jolie--Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's story.

Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

2009-02-12T17:06:00.004-06:00

Martha Carrier was one of the first women to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and willful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. Often at odds with one another, mother and daughter are forced to stand together against the escalating hysteria of the trials and the superstitious tyranny that led to the torture and imprisonment of more than 200 people accused of witchcraft. This is the story of Martha's courageous defiance and ultimate death, as told by the daughter who survived.

Kathleen Kent is a tenth-generation descendant of Martha Carrier. She is also a masterful storyteller, and in her first novel she paints a haunting portrait, not just of Puritan New England but also of one family’s deep and abiding love in the face of fear and persecution.

Abraham Lincoln-February 12, 1809-200th Birthday

2009-02-12T09:00:00.001-06:00

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Kentucky to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, two uneducated farmers. Lincoln was a good worker and loved to read in any spare time he had. He married Mary Todd in 1842 and they had four sons, though only one, Robert, survived into adulthood. Lincoln began his political career in 1832at age 23, with an unsuccessful campaign as a Whig candidate. In 1834, he won election to the state legislature,and began to teach himself law and was able to gain admittance to the bar in 1837. He served several terms of office and Henry Clay was his political hero. Abraham Lincoln was our nation's 16Th President. He successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery. He fought against the expansion of slavery through the country and was the first President to be assassinated. He was killed on Good Friday, April 14, 1865 while attending the theater (My American Cousin) with his wife, Major Henry Rathbone and his fiance, by confederate sympathiser John Wilkes Booth.
Please look for the newsletter February 20 and details of Our One Book One Community.

Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann

2009-02-11T14:06:00.001-06:00

Suzanne Brockmann has been writing romantic suspense for quite a while. Her latest Troubleshooters Incorporated novel, Dark of Night brings back many past characters and ties up quite a few loose ends. Badly shaken after the loss of one of their own, the men and women of Troubleshooters Inc. go up against their most deadly opponents yet--the clandestine organization called The Agency. But when their leader, former Navy SEAL Lawrence Decker, barely escapes with his life, it soon becomes clear that the hunters have become the hunted --and the Troubleshooters are no longer just solving a crime--they're fighting for survival. Though the men of Troublshooters are used to black ops missions, it is the women who really come through in this novel. I always enjoy her novels as they have a little bit of everything....suspense, lots of action and of course romance.

Steve Berry

2009-02-10T13:57:00.003-06:00

Our library was fortunate in hosting last Thursday a lovely evening with bestselling author Steve Berry. He came with his wife Elizabeth and engaged a roomful of fans for a couple of hours. It has always fascinated me to listen to writers discuss their craft....and Steve was certainly interesting. He is no longer working as a lawyer, but did so for many many years before he sold his first novel. He spoke about how Dan Brown and his novel The Da Vinci Code really made his and many other authors writing careers possible. Up until the popularity of Brown's novels, the spy novels were dead. The Cold War was over and the public wasn't reading them. But now there is a resurgence of interest and Berry is enjoying his writing career very much. His latest The Charlemagne Pursuit is available at the library and look toward an early December release of his next Cotton Malone novel, Paris Vendetta.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

2009-02-05T17:47:00.003-06:00

In the glamorous world of New York, Rebecca Bloomwood is a fun-loving girl who is really good at shopping — a little too good, perhaps. She dreams of working for her favorite magazine, but can’t quite get her foot in the door — until ironically, she snags a job as an advice columnist for a financial magazine published by the same company. As her dreams are finally coming true, she goes to ever more hilarious and extreme efforts to keep her past from ruining her future.

Cast: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, John Lithgow, Kristin Scott Thomas, Leslie Bibb
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: February 13th (wide)

Award Ceremonies in February

2009-02-04T09:25:00.004-06:00

For all you music and movie fans, February is a big month. The Grammy Awards, celebrating the best in music this year, will be shown this Sunday, February 8th on CBS. The Academy Awards, or the Oscars as they are also known, for movies will be shown on Sunday, February 22, 2009. Get all the latest information on www.grammy.com and www.oscars.org Come find the nominees here at WNPL. Check them out today!

The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough

2009-02-03T08:15:00.003-06:00

I really do try to read anything Jane Austen, and I have been very lucky by the amount of novels that have been published over the years to keep me steadily reading. I anticipated the newest one by Colleen McCullough, best known for her Thorn Bird novels. The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet takes place twenty years after Pride and Prejudice ends. Miss Mary was one of the younger sisters of Elizabeth and Jane and was considered somewhat stuffy and pious. She has been relegated to be the daughter that stayed behind to take care of Mrs. Bennet and that of course ensured that she was unable to embarrass Mr. Darcy and his political aspirations. After the death of Mrs. Bennet, Mary is finally able to spread her wings and decides that she is going to write a book about the evils in England. There is much going on with each of our beloved characters and the author manages to keep everyone going in the style of Austen. If you want to read more about the Bennets, this is an intriguing look into English life that Austen has inspired.

ALA Awards

2009-01-29T17:17:00.001-06:00

The following is a list of all ALA Youth Media Awards for 2009:

John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature. Neil Gaiman, author of “The Graveyard Book,” illustrated by Dave McKean and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, is the 2009 Newbery Medal winner.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children. Beth Krommes, illustrator of “The House in the Night,” written by Susan Marie Swanson and published by Houghton Mifflin Company, is the 2009 Caldecott Medal Winner.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults. Melina Marchetta, author of “Jellicoe Road,” is the 2009 Printz Award winner. The book is published by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. “We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro League Baseball,” written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group. “The Blacker the Berry,” illustrated by Floyd Cooper, written by Joyce Carol Thomas and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, is the King Illustrator Book winner.

After You've Gone by Jeffrey Lent

2009-01-28T08:23:00.003-06:00

Jeffrey Lent's novels have earned him comparisons to Kent Haruf and Cormac McCarthy. They depict American family life in simple terms during moments of great change. His latest due out in March 2009, After You've Gone charts life through loss and love. Henry Dorn has spent years building his family, but after the terrible loss of his wife and son, he is thrown into such despair that he leaves the home he has known. He ends up in Amsterdam where he must face new possibilities and a new love. I thought the novel was a bit slow moving, but I had to allow the story to evolve the way the author meant it to. His use of language is lovely and sparse. If you liked Kent Haruf's Plainsong, you will appreciate After You've Gone.

In Memorium John Updike

2009-01-27T17:39:00.003-06:00

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and novelist John Updike has died today at the age of 76 from lung cancer. Born on March 18, 1932, Updike was a poet, novelist, short story writer, and art critic. He is best known for his Rabbit series for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest. Updike was widely recognized for his careful craftsmanship, his highly stylistic writing, and his prolific output, having published more than twenty-five novels and more than a dozen short story collections. His latest The Widows of Eastwick came out in 2008.

Inheritance (DVD) review

2009-01-23T13:27:00.001-06:00

If you saw the movie Schindler’s List, you will remember the true life character, Amon Goeth, commandant of the Plaszow concentration camp. This documentary introduces us to his daughter, Monika Hertwig. She was born in 1945 and never knew her father (who was executed for his war crimes when she was a year old). She has struggled all her life with the legacy her father has left her. Hertwig has for many years wanted to meet Helen Jonas, who was in the camp and served as Goeth’s maid. They finally meet at the site of the former camp and struggle to come to terms with their shared past. (reviewed by Vicky)

Appaloosa

2009-01-21T09:30:00.000-06:00

Appaloosa, based on the novel by Robert Parker, was recently released on DVD. It tells the story of 2 itinerate lawman who are hired to clean up the town of Appaloosa in the late 1800s. Ed Harris (who wrote, produced, starred, and directed) and Viggo Mortensen are the 2 lawmen in the film. Jeremy Irons plays the evil Randall Bragg, who terrorizes the town. Renee Zellweger plays the love interest. The movie was a little slow at times but overall I thought it was a great western movie. It is rated R for violence and language. Both are available at WNPL, check them out.

Booklist highlights the Best Fiction of 2008

2009-01-20T13:17:00.002-06:00

In a recent issue of Booklist several wonderful books were chosen as the Best of Fiction for 2008...and rightly so!

"He was an upstate Jew five generations removed from here, but he knew where he was, he got the joke...88 Forsyth House with its historically restored cold-water flats not all that much different from the unrestored tenements that surrounded it...But what really drew him to the area wasn't its full-circle irony but its nowness, its right here and nowness, which sopke to the true engine of his being, a craving for making it made many times worse by a complete ignorace as to how this "it" would manifest itself." From Lush Life by Richard Price

"More than once when Lina brought his dinner to whatever field or woodllot he was working in, she found him, head thrown back, staring at the sky as if in wondering despair at the land's refusal to obey his will." A Mercy by Toni Morrison

"There are some things, he reflected, that change everything else. their breaking makes no sound yet fractures the world." Driftless by David Rhodes

"Every so often something shatters like ice and we are in the river of our existence. We are aware. The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

Defiance Review

2009-01-19T13:37:00.005-06:00

The movie Defiance came to theaters nationwide this weekend. It is a true story about 3 brothers who hide in the woods of Nazi occupied Poland during WWII. Over the course of the war, they end up saving the lives of 1,200 Jews. This movie has a lot to offer. One might be drawn into the action, but they will end up seeing unsung heroes who risked their lives to save others. The movie is rated R for violence and language. True to usual form I found out about the book after watching the movie. The book is called Defiance: The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec. Check it out at the library.

Historical Figures in Fiction

2009-01-16T15:26:00.001-06:00

Every other month in the reference department we try to read a different genre or sub-genre in the hopes of keeping up with any new ideas or trends in literature. This month we are reading and discussing historical figures in fiction. It has been an interesting and somewhat surprising reading experience for all of us.
I believe I have read all of Stephanie Barron's' excellent Jane Austen mystery series and LOVE Laurie R. King's Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell series (okay, maybe he wasn't "real" but certainly as well known as a person.)
Coming this winter/early Spring are several excellently reviewed novels. I am currently reading one. It is titled Drood by Charles Dickens. It is "loosely" based on Charles Dickens last years and particularly his last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. It is 1865 and Dickens is traveling by train to London. He is involved in a terrible accident and from there he becomes obsessed with the underbelly of London. It is based on historical details and narrated by Wilkie Collins (Dickens's friend and writer.) It is very atmospheric and haunting.
Coming in March is The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl. This novel is a mystery set just after his death and again surrounds his last novel.
And in May, Wanting by Richard Flanagan. This novel concerns a lost crew in the Northwest Passage and reports of cannibalism are filtered back to England. Charles Dickens makes an important appearance.
If you are interested in other titles that have historical figures appear, please stop by the reference desk and pick up a prepared bookmark.

Inkheart Trailer

2009-01-15T18:53:00.003-06:00

This movie is based on the very popular trilogy by Cornelia Funke...check out the trailer and then get the book!

Fiction Reading Increases for Adults

2009-01-13T13:54:00.001-06:00

The National Endowment for the Art reports fiction reading is on the rise. In a January 12, 2009 article in the New York Times, it is being said that according to data based from "The Survey of Public Participation in the Arts" conducted by the United States Census Bureau, the proportion of adults 18 and older who have said they read at least one novel, short story, poem or play has risen. What is also interesting is that it has increased most dramatically among 18-24 year-olds, however, reading has increased among virtually all age groups, ethnic and demographic categories.
So, why have things changed? This question is particularly interesting because of the downward sales in the publishing industry. I think that as a whole our country is beginning to read together again. Many organizations partnered with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest to encourage reading a specific book, through "The Big Read." Many libraries are doing "One Book, One Community" (Warren Newport Public Library in 2008 read Devil in the White City by Eric Larson...Look to our next newsletter for the unveiling of the next title!)
I also think that you must give credit to Oprah and other TV book discussion clubs that have really encouraged reading and discussions.
This is a very positive occurance...one that we hope continues to grow.

Pursing Charlemagne

2009-01-12T13:42:00.005-06:00

International bestselling author Steve Berry will be here on Thursday, February 5 at 7:00 pm. If you have not had the opportunity to read one of his seven books, you might want to try one and then come and meet him. He has had a law practice in Georgia for years while he attempted to and then finally did sell his first novel, The Amber Room in 2003. In a recent interview he mentioned that he was quite nervous and a bit conservative to try and write full-time. Luckily for us his recent successes has made it possible for that to happen. His protagonist, Cotton Malone, in his latest, The Charlemagne Pursuit is a rare book dealer in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is a former lawyer and agent for the Justice Department and he keeps getting drawn into international intrigue usually involving rare books or antiquities. I really like his novels. They are chocked full of suspense and threaded through with lots of interesting facts about former civilizations.
This is a free a program and you can sign up by calling 847/244-5150. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Who are the most prolific writers?

2009-01-09T09:25:00.001-06:00

According to a December 2008 issue of Publishers Weekly the most prolific writers are Nora Roberts (who also writes as J. D. Robb), Debbie Macomber and James Patterson. In fact, for 2008, these three have five of the top 15 books. These veteran authors accounted for 15.5% of all the available mass market slots. This must make it pretty difficult for up and coming authors. Publishing is having a pretty difficult time right now and it will be interesting to see what 2009 brings.

Coming In February...

2009-01-08T17:40:00.004-06:00

Here are a sampling of a few books that look particularly interesting coming out in the near future:

First, there’s Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. This book is an epic novel that features twin brothers who grow up in Ethiopia after their mother dies and their father abandons them.

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li. This story takes the reader to Communist China in 1979 when Beijing was rocked by the Democratic Wall Movement, an anti-Communist groundswell designed to move China beyond the dark shadow of the Cultural Revolution toward a more enlightened and open society.

Finally, Honeymoon in Tehran by Azadeh Moaveni. American-born journalist Azadeh Moaveni returns to Iran in 2005 to cover the rise of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. While she’s there, the unexpected happens: she meets her soul mate, falls in love, and becomes pregnant. Now she must face a future that she didn’t quite plan.

New Movie Bookmark

2009-01-07T10:19:00.001-06:00

Are you looking for a way to evaluate the movies you're interested in? Look no further than our new bookmark called Flick Clicks: Resources for Movie Fans. It lists evaluative websites and books that help you decide if a movie is right for you. Look for the bright blue bookmark by the movie shelves or ask at the adult reference desk.

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

2009-01-07T09:06:00.002-06:00

For those of you who have not found or read Janet Evanovich you have a chance to start with her newest novel, "Plum Spooky." Though this is a Stephanie Plum novel, it is an off-shoot of her "number novels" that begin with "One for the Money." All of the regular are back, Lula, lots of monkeys and luckily Joe Morelli. There is of course a mystery, (of a sort), and plenty of high jinx. This novel is out this week.

Forbidden Kingdom Review

2008-12-26T12:58:00.001-06:00

I just finished watching the movie "Forbidden Kingdom" starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It had an epic feel like "Lord of the Rings", only with an asian fantasy feel. It was fun to see Chan and Li in a movie together. If you're looking for an entertaining movie this is it. It is rated PG-13.

Horton Hears a Who

2008-12-23T11:27:00.003-06:00

Horton Hears a Who was recently released on DVD. It is a wonderful family film. The movie is based on the book of the same name written by Dr. Seuss. It follows the storyline of the book with extras being added to detail and not to additional events. Many well-known actors do the voices of the characters such as : Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett. This film is Rated G. Check out this film for your little person and they will learn that "A person's a person. No matter how small."

New This Week---

2008-12-22T11:07:00.001-06:00

December 24: Perenial favorite, Mary Higgins Clark turns 77 and celebrates with a co-authored (with daughter) novel, "Dashing Through the Snow." Her next solo thriller is coming out in April 2009 and is titled, "Just Take My Hear."

December 27: Also out next week, "The Independence of Miss Mary Bennett" by Colleen McCullough. This is a sequel to "Pride and Prejudice" and begins 20 years later and revisits Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's marriage.

Meet Cara Black

2008-12-19T11:38:00.001-06:00

Cara Black is the author of nine mysteries set in nine different neighborhoods in Paris...but lives in San Francisco. She does have a love of Paris and that love comes through in her novels. She does extensive research by interviewing real people who live in the areas she sets her books. The first in the series, "Murder in the Marias" features Aimee Leduc, a funky-chic half-French, half-American Parisieene who keeps finding herself in the role of private detective and whose specialty is computer forensics, is confronted with a seemingly mundane task: to decipher an encrypted photograph from the '40s and deliver it to an old woman in the Marais (the historic Jewish quarter of Paris). When Aim e arrives at the home of Lili Stein to present the photo, however, she finds the woman dead, a swastika carved into her forehead. Thus begins a thrilling, quick-paced chase involving neo-Nazis, corrupt government officials and fierce anti-Semitism. Her latest is "Murder in the Rue de Paradis."

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

2008-12-18T17:52:00.003-06:00

Once again, David Sedaris brings together a collection of essays so uproariously funny and profoundly moving that his legions of fans will fall for him once more. He tests the limits of love when Hugh lances a boil from his backside, and pushes the boundaries of laziness when, finding the water shut off in his house in Normandy, he looks to the water in a vase of fresh cut flowers to fill the coffee machine. From armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds to the awkwardness of having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a sleeping fellow passenger on a plane, David Sedaris uses life's most bizarre moments to reach new heights in understanding love and fear, family and strangers.

Prince Caspian

2008-12-16T13:42:00.001-06:00

The second novel in C. S. Lewis's Narnia series, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" has been released on DVD. The movie has the Pevensie siblings returning to Narnia, where they are enlisted to once again help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the land's throne, Prince Caspian. It is beautifully filmed and populated with all kinds of creatures.
To review "The Chronicles of Narnia:"
published 1950 "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe"
1951 "Prince Caspian"
1952 "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"
1953 "The Silver Chair"
1954 "The Horse and His Boy"
1955 "The Magician's Nephew" (written as a pre-que and is now considered the first in series)
1956 "The Last Battle"
It has been suggested that "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" will be out in theaters in 2010.

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

2008-12-15T13:30:00.003-06:00

Patricia Cornwell's 16th novel featuring Kay Scarpetta has recently been released. "Scarpetta" is a novel for a big anniversary...it has been 20 years since her first novel was published. When she first began writing she ruled the world of forensic science...now we are bombarded with many CSI- like novels and T V series from every side. The author spent six years working in a medical examiner's office before she began writing her first book, though she still tries to keep up with forensic technology. Cornwell has said her books all have two things in common, first is a plot twist that allows Scarpetta to make a Sherlock-Holmes like deduction and second is their intriguing character interaction. I have not had a chance to read this novel as it has so many holds...proving once again that Cornwell is at the top of her game.

Bestselling Novelist Steve Berry to Visit

2008-12-12T08:41:00.001-06:00

New York Times bestselling author, Steve Berry will be visiting on Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 7:00 pm. His protagonist, Cotton Malone will be featured in "The Charlemagne Pursuit" just out this month. Steve Berry credits the nuns who taught him in Catholic school with instilling the discipline needed both to craft a novel and to find a publisher. He claims to be the poster child for sticking to it as it took him 12 years and 85 rejections to finally sell a manuscript. His perseverance has paid off--his novels are published in 43 countries and 41 languages. Please sign up for this free program at 847/244-5150. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Disquiet by Julia Leigh

2008-12-11T17:33:00.002-06:00

Olivia arrives at her mother’s chateau in rural France (the first time in more than a decade) with her two young children in tow. Soon the family is joined by Olivia’s brother Marcus and his wife Sophie—but this reunion is far from joyful. After years of desperately wanting a baby, Sophie has just given birth to a stillborn child, and she is struggling to overcome her devastation. Meanwhile, Olivia wrestles with her own secrets about the cruel and violent man she married many years before. Exquisitely written and reminiscent of Ian McEwan and J. M. Coetzee, Disquiet is a darkly beautiful and atmospheric story that will linger in the mind long after the final page is turned.

Golden Globe nominations announced!

2008-12-11T11:51:00.002-06:00

Golden Globe Nominations have been announced. Wonder who the nominees are?
You can find out at http://www.goldenglobes.org/. You will have to wait until Sunday, January 11, 2008 to see who the winners are. This still gives you enough time to see any movies nominated that you missed. Happy watching! (Amy A.)

Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver

2008-12-10T08:33:00.002-06:00

When Jeffery Deaver visited here a few years ago he spoke about how involved his plotting is. He writes pages and pages of outlines before he begins to write one word of the novel. On his website he talks about how so many lawyers become novelists: "For me, a thriller is a very carefully structured story. I spend eight months outlining and researching the novel before I begin to write a single word of the prose. The skills I use to do that are the same I used when practicing law--researching and structuring a legal document or case." His newest bestseller has 186,000 copies in print.

Arriving at a deserted lake house to investigate an aborted call to police, Deputy Anna McCafferty walks into the middle of a heinous crime and is deprived of her weapon, car, and phone, forced to flee, along with the twenty-five-year-old daughter of the murdered couple, into the surrounding forest to escape the perpetrators who must eliminate any potential witnesses.

Grammy Awards

2008-12-09T12:58:00.001-06:00

What do the artists Jonas Brothers, Coldplay, Ne-Yo, and Brad Paisley have in common?
They have been recently nominated for the Grammy Award. You can check out the complete list of nominees at www.grammy.com Not sure who some of the nominees are? You have plenty of time to check them out at the library before the awards ceremony February 8, 2009.
(Amy A.)

December 9--Quote for the Day"In this world you've just got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst and take whatever God sends."

2008-12-09T12:54:00.001-06:00

"In this world you've just got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst and take whatever God sends."

Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery

This is Who I Am by Rosanne Olson

2008-12-05T13:45:00.002-06:00

Can you search beyond an image to see the soul of one’s being? Can you find part of yourself in someone else’s words? Rosanne Olson invites you to do just that with her book, This is Who I Am: Our Beauty in All Shapes and Sizes. From 19 to 95, over fifty women share their stories. From surviving breast cancer and domestic abuse to challenging cultural expectations, these women expose their souls and show the ultimate vulnerability with their nude photographs. Their testimonials will touch your heart and inspire your life. (reviewed by Jane)

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie

2008-12-04T17:55:00.005-06:00

I let myself into the house and found my mom standing in the foyer, like she had been waiting for me. When I might be in trouble, I usually try to speak first, before the ‘rents start in on me. So I plunged right in.

Mom, I’ve been worried all day. Is Jeffrey ok?

She said, in this strange, soft voice, Steven, your brother is really sick.

Did I? Was it because he…?

The fall this morning had nothing to do with it.

Whew! I’m off the hook.

But he’s…really…sick.

And this was the absolute worst thing about last October 7th, the one moment I’ll never forgive myself for. When my mother began to tell me that my baby brother had leukemia, my first feeling was relief.
____________________________________________________

While this may be a book written for teens - if you, or anyone you know, has ever been affected by cancer - this wonderfully written story is a must read. It's narrated by a very believable 13 year old boy and how he deals with the aftermath of a leukemia diagnosis that changes his family forever.

December 4th Quote

2008-12-04T13:44:00.000-06:00

"The story had held us, round the fire, sufficiently breathless, but except the obvious remark that it was gruesome, as, on Christmas Eve in an old house, a strange tale should essentially be "

--The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

The Hiding Place by Karen Harper

2008-12-03T08:43:00.002-06:00

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the Midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Her latest novel, "The Hiding Place" seems taken from today's headlines. After spending nine months in a coma, Tara Kinsale awakens to find out that her best friend is murdered, leaving Tara guardian to her daughter, Claire and her husband has divorced her. Soon she learns horrifying facts about the time she was in the coma and she must investigate to find the truth. Karen Harper writes suspenseful contemporary and historical novels that are real page turners.

Quote for December 3

2008-12-03T08:40:00.001-06:00

. . . imagination is a licensed trespasser: it has no fear of dogs, but may climb over walls and peep in at windows with impunity.

--Adam Bede by George Eliot

A Quote for Today

2008-12-02T19:38:00.001-06:00

"At last the anchor was up, the sails were set, and off we glided. It was a sharp, cold Christmas; and as the short northern day merged into night, we found ourselves almost broad upon the wintry ocean, whose freezing spray cased us in ice, as in polished armor"

--From "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville

An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor

2008-12-02T19:05:00.002-06:00

"An Irish Country Christmas" is the third in the sweet pastoral novels written by Patrick Taylor. His voice and setting of Ireland instills a feeling of what it must be like to live in a small country village where everyone knows each other. In this latest Dr. Barry Laverty is counting the minutes until his first Christmas in the snug community of Ballybucklebo. His spirits begin to dwindle when his girlfriend Patricia may not be able to join him for the holiday tidings. A new fast-talking doctor arrives in town with the hopes of stealing business away from Dr. Laverty's medical practice, and threatens the well-being of the citizens with his phony tactics. A delightful novel just in time for the holidays!

Half a Crown by Jo Walton

2008-11-28T18:23:00.001-06:00

Half a Crown is the final book in the alternative history trilogy by Jo Walton. The first two books were Farthing and Ha’Penny. The series begins in England 1949, eight years after they have agreed to peace with Germany. Peter Carmichael, a Scotland Yard inspector is a recurring character through all three novels. As he advances through the ranks, he deals with his own personal secret and a society where “undesirables” are shipped off across the Channel to board cattle cars headed east. While all the books work on the level of mystery/thriller, they also raise the question “What if?”. What would a world, where England surrendered to the Germans and America never entered the war, be like? (reviewed by Victoria)

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T08:30:00.001-06:00

There are several good novels with the Thanksgivng holiday as a major theme. If you are looking for something to get you in the holiday spirit, you might want to take a look at one of these.

"Thanksgiving" by Janet Evanovich, Megan had wept over one failed love, and it hurt to risk again. But being with Dr. Patrick Hunter, making Thanksgiving dinner for their families, filled her with such longing that Megan began to suspect that the doctor who kissed her breathless could heal her scars.

"Thanksgiving Night" by Richard Bausch, is a portrayal of family - the one we have, and the ones we make.

"The Ghost at the Table by Suzanne Berne, sisters Frances and Cynthia have managed to remain "devoted" - so long as they stay on opposite coasts. But with the reappearance of their elderly, long-estranged father they find themselves reunited for a cold, snowy Thanksgiving week - a reunion that awakens sleeping tensions and old sorrows.

"Turkey Day Misunderstood" by Leslie Meier, despite all her volunteer work and family responsibilities, valiant Lucy Stone still manages to find murder and mayhem at the holidays in this seventh in the series.

"Hung Out to Die" by Sharon Gwyn Short, invited to crabby old family matriarch "Mamaw" Toadfern's Thanksgiving celebration Josie is too curious to refuse. There she finds her long lost mom and pop, blandly unapologetic and full of new -- probably illegal -- get-rich-quick schemes.

Traveling---Check out our Books on CD

2008-11-25T18:14:00.002-06:00

At this time of year many of find ourselves traveling to visit family and friends far and near. If you are traveling far you might want to try a book on CD. It is a wonderful way to pass the time, but also a good way to catch up on your reading. We have developed a wonderful bookmark called, "On the Road Again--Audiobooks on CD for families." It is available at the reference desk. A few titles that are suitable for all age groups:

"The Incredible Journey" by Shelia Every Burnford

"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" by Ian Fleming

"A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle

"Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens

"Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

"The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Also, stop in and check out our new "Playaways."

Anita Shreve

2008-11-24T14:02:00.002-06:00

Anita Shreve has been writing beautiful novels for quite awhile now. Her novels always bring up aspects of our lives for closer inspection. Her new novel, "Testimony' continues this tradition.

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment. Initially, I was put off by the arrangement of the novel...each chapter has a different voice, but it was a powerful way to have the story unfold. If you have liked her other novels, you will appreciate this one.

Eclipse by Richard North Patterson

2008-11-22T09:38:00.001-06:00

I love Richard North Patterson's writing. His suspense novels always showcase important aspects of our world today. Due out January, 2009 his latest, 'Eclipse' is no exception. On the eve of getting a divorce, Damon Pierce, a 40-year-old partner in a huge San Francisco, Calif., law firm, who specializes in international litigation, e-mails Marissa Brand, a woman he was once in love with in college, to update her on his life. Marissa is married to Bobby Okari, a firebrand reformer whose Nigeria-like country, Luandia, is awash in oil. With these riches come the usual scenarios: ecological disasters, a brutal dictator with murderous henchmen, a rapacious foreign oil company and an oppressed populace. Damon signs on to help Bobby when a critical development occurs. In a recent interview with Patterson he talked about what led to his writing this particular novel. This is loosely based on a tragic event that occurred in Nigeria 15 years ago when a human-rights activist was hanged by the country's most brutal dictator. This novel is on order and should not be missed.

Lucky Charm by Carly Phillips

2008-11-21T08:36:00.001-06:00

Carly Phillips has been writing romance novels since 1999, and her 2003 novel 'The Bachelor' was chosen by Kelly Ripa for her Reading with Ripa book club making it the first romance novel to be chosen by a nationally televised book club. Her first in a trilogy, 'Lucky Charm' recently was released. Derek thought he could outsmart the long-standing Corwin curse by breaking up with Gabrielle, his first love, and marrying someone else. Now, divorced and broke, all he has left is his teenage daughter and a healthy respect for ancient sorcery. But then Gabrielle returns, determined to defeat the curse and rekindle their passion. But will her stubborn streak and her unwavering love be the lucky charm Derek so desperately needs? It is a sweet story and I assume she will continue the Corwin curse with the next two novels.

What We're Listening To Now

2008-11-20T17:44:00.008-06:00

Audio books are always fun, and the holiday traveling season will soon be upon us. If you are looking for some good suggestions, you might want to try one (or more) of these great audio books.

Coraline
When Coraline steps through a door in her family’s new house, she enters an alternate world. Everything might be better than it is at home except for the other mother and father. They want her to stay and be their little girl -- and never let her go. Read by author Neil Gaiman himself, it would be a great book to listen to in advance of the film coming out this fall.

To Kill a Mockingbird
Read by screen legend Sissy Spacek, one of the best-loved stories of all time is a riveting listen for the whole family. This is the remarkable tale of coming-of-age in the South. Scout Fitch sees a world of great beauty and inequity as her father, a lawyer, risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a horrendous crime.

Heart-Shaped Box
Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre. So when a haunted dead man’s suit goes on sale online, Jude makes the purchase. But what UPS delivers to his door in a heart-shaped box is no imaginary or metaphorical ghost -- it’s the real thing. Read by Broadway and television’s Stephen Lang, listen to this terrifying tale on your tour of the country’s most haunted destinations.

Wicked
We’re all familiar with The Wizard of Oz, but we’ve only heard one side of the story. Welcome to Wicked, the truth told by Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who -- maybe -- isn’t so wicked after all. You’ll never think of Oz the same way after hearing John McDonough tell the tale of a little green-skinned girl: a smart, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

Shakespeare:The World as Stage
William Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, is brought back to life in this biography. Bill Bryson uses his trademark wit to sort through Shakespeare’s colourful life to reveal the truth of who the revered poet was. Read by Bryson himself, his Shakespeare is like no one else’s.

The Thirteenth Tale
In one of the most exceptional debuts of the season, Setterfield delivers a magnificently atmospheric and haunting tale of a woman who discovers long-held secrets of the past. The Thirteenth Tale is a return to that rich vein of storytelling that our parents loved and we loved as children. Diane Setterfield will keep you guessing, make you wonder, move you to tears and laughter, and in the end, deposit you breathless yet satisfied back upon the shore of your everyday life.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Our hero in this exceptional mystery is a mystery himself. Christopher is 15 – and autistic. When he is blamed for the death of a neighbor's dog, he decides to find the killer. But his search ultimately forces him to confront the end of his parents' marriage. "Narrator Jeff Woodman is masterful... perfect, and perfectly unforgettable."—

Dewey the Library Feline

2008-11-20T08:32:00.003-06:00

As most of the reading public has heard, 'Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World' by Vicki Myron is now a bestselling book. One frigid Midwestern winter night in 1988, a ginger kitten was shoved into the after-hours book-return slot at the public library in Spencer, Iowa. And in this tender story, Myron, the library director, tells of the impact the cat, named DeweyReadmore Books, had on the library and its patrons, and on Myron herself. This small wonder will now be made into a film and the librarian will be played by Meryl Streep. Who knew libraries could be so exciting???

Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors

2008-11-19T08:25:00.002-06:00

Though this book was originally published in 2006 it is well worth re-visiting again. Shors's spirited debut novel tells the story of the eldest daughter of the 17th-century emperor who built the Taj Mahal. From her self-imposed exile, Jahanara recalls growing up in the Red Fort; the devotion her parents, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, had for each other; and the events that took place during the construction of the fabulous monument to their love. Although Jahan is the emperor and has many wives, Mumtaz (he calls her Taj) is his soul mate, a constant companion and wise political consultant. She even travels with him into battle, where she eventually dies giving birth to their 14th child. It is a novel filled with intrigue that draws the reader into its seventeenth century world

Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain

2008-11-13T17:38:00.001-06:00

Chelsea Cain is back with a sequel to her bestselling novel 'Heartsick.' Damaged detective Archie Sheridan is back home in Portland, Ore., trying to resume a normal life. Archie's ties to serial killer Gretchen Lowell still run deep, even if he's stopped their weekly visits in prison. There is more action and suspense and the novel deals with the ongoing damage of Archie's soul. A very suspenseful read!

A Dickens Kind of Christmas

2008-11-13T17:16:00.003-06:00

Join us on Saturday, December 6th at 1:00 for this fabulous variety show. It offers music, magic, puppets & other types of entertainment favored by street performers during the time of Charles Dickens.

Fun for the whole family. All attendees must register.

Michael Crichton

2008-11-05T14:54:00.002-06:00

Author Michael Crichton died Tuesday from cancer. He was best know for his novels, Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain. A medical doctor, Crichton used his medical and scienctific knowledge in his novels. What some might not know is that he helped create the T.V. show ER. He worked with Steven Spielberg in creating the popular movie Jurassic Park. Come to the library and check out this wonderful author's work. He will be missed.

Author Visit: Sean Chercover

2008-10-30T20:22:00.004-05:00

Join us on Monday, November 3rd @ 7:00 for a visit from Sean Chercover!

Formerly a private investigator in Chicago and New Orleans, Sean Chercover has since written for film, television, and print. His first novel, 'Big City, Bad Blood' was nominated for the Best First Novel for the International Thriller Writers Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, and the Arthur Ellis Award. He will be here to discuss his latest, 'Trigger City.'

Books will be available for purchase and signing. Registration Required.

Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill

2008-10-30T19:18:00.002-05:00

Middle-aged rock star Judas Coyne collects morbid curios for fun, so doesn't think twice about buying a suit advertised at an online auction site as haunted by its dead owner's ghost. Only after it arrives does Judas discover that the suit belonged to Craddock McDermott, the stepfather of one of Coyne's discarded groupies, and that the old man's ghost is a malignant spirit determined to kill Judas in revenge for his stepdaughter's suicide. Judas isn't quite the cad or Craddock the avenging angel this scenario makes them at first, but their true motivations reveal themselves only gradually in a fast-paced plot that crackles with expertly planted surprises and revelations.

Teens Top Ten

2008-10-23T17:51:00.001-05:00

The ALA Teens’ Top Ten have been announced. This list is voted on by over 8,000 teens, and the books that they’ve chosen are:

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Vampire Academy by Rachel Mead
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lauren Willig--Cozy Author

2008-10-17T14:44:00.001-05:00

•A native of New York City, Lauren Willig has been writing romances ever since she got her hands on her first romance novel at the age of six.
•Three years later, she sent her first novel off to a publishing house—all three hundred hand-written pages. They sent it back.
•Though she is a lawyer by degree, her first love remains writing.

•Lauren does lots and lots of research for her historical novels.
•Her first novel, ‘The Pink Carnation’ was an award to herself for finishing and passing her second year in Grad School.
•She decided that writing was much more enjoyable than working as a second year law associate.
•(2008) Seduction of the Crimson Rose
•(2006) The Deception of the Emerald Ring
•(2006) The Masque of the Black Tulip
•(2005) The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

Julie Hyzy--Cozy Writer

2008-10-16T14:34:00.001-05:00

•She has attempted a variety of jobs from flipping burgers to Community theater.
•She became one of the first female brothers in Loyola University's Chapter of Delta Sigma Pi.

•Julie’s first standalone novel, ‘Artistic License’ won the Love Is Murder Readers' Choice Award (Lovey) for Best First Novel in 2004.
•Her next novel, ‘Deadly Blessings’ (June 2005), was the first in her mystery series featuring Chicago-based reporter Alex St. James. ’Deadly Interest’, the second in the series, garnered great reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus.
•Currently, Julie is the Vice President of the Midwest Chapter of Mystery Writers of America

•White House Chef Mystery
•(2008) State of the Onion
•Alex St. James Mysteries
•(2006) Deadly Interest
•(2005) Deadly Blessings
•Mystery
•(2004) Artistic License

Helen Macie Osterman

2008-10-15T14:38:00.001-05:00

•She received a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Mercy Hospital-St. Xavier College and later earned a Master’s Degree from Northern Illinois University.
•Throughout her forty-five year nursing career, she wrote articles for both nursing and medical journals.
•Writing has always been a passion.
•Four of her paintings of historic Maxwell Street in Chicago are part of the permanent collection of the Chicago History Museum.

•Like her character Emma Winberry, she is an avid gardener.
•“The Accidental Sleuth is pure delight. Emma Winberry and her significant other, Nate, tiptoe on the edge of the dark side in this one, tangling with some bad crooks, troubled teens, and homeless allies. It’s a cozy that even a tough guy like me can enjoy.” — Michael Black, author of A Final Judgment

•(2007) The Accidental Sleuth
•(2009) The Stranger in the Dressing Room

One Fifth Avenue

2008-10-14T20:23:00.002-05:00

Candace Bushnell has a new book on the New York Times bestseller list entitled, "One Fifth Avenue." As you can probably surmise, the story takes place in New York City. One Fifth Avenue is a luxury art deco apartment building that many aspire to reside in Manhattan. The building houses a variety of characters including Mindy and James Gooch and their 13 year old son, Sam. They live a small and gloomy basement apartment in the swanky building and resent it. James is a writer, who like another resident falls for Lola, a spoiled, beautiful and surgically enhanced 22 year old who will use any one to achieve celebrity status. There is an aging gossip colmnist Enid Merle, her screenwriter nephew Philip and his former girlfriend Schiffer Diamond. The exclusive penthouse residents are Paul and Annalisa Rice, multimillionaire hedge fund social climbers. I was disappointed with the book. I found the characters to be shallow and striving for success at any cost. The charm of Candace Bushnell's Sex and City characters was no where to be found. The pacing of the book was quick so if you are looking for a fast read you might enjoy the book.

Charles Dickinson--Cozy Writer

2008-10-14T14:30:00.001-05:00

•He is the author of several novels and short stories.
•Twice his stories have been included in the O’ Henry Awards.
•He is an editor for ‘The Chicago Tribune’ and lives in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

•“Charles Dickinson is certainly one of the best novelists to appear in the last few years. Crows is both highly entertaining and significantly moral fiction.” --The Grand Rapids Press
•“That most wonderful and increasingly rare sort of novel written by an author who loves his characters beyond measure.” --Barbara Kingsolver

•(2003) A Shortcut in Time
•(1991) Rumor Has It
•(1989) The Widows’ Adventures
•(1985) Crows
•(1983) Waltz in Marathon
•Short-Story Collection
•(1987) With or Without

Robert Dalby--Cozy Writer

2008-10-13T14:24:00.001-05:00

A southern by birth and brought up in Natchez, Mississippi.
Studied English and Creative writing in Sewanee , Tennessee.
•He like to portray strong Southern women taking charge of their lives, just as they do in the Piggly Wiggly series.
•He likes to use humor throughout his novels, but feels that all novels should be plotted like good mysteries.
•He wants to leave his reader guessing and wanting to turn that page. So, there are a few twists, turns and surprises in his novels to keep readers on their toes.

•(2009) A Very Piggly Wiggly Christmas
•(2008) A Piggly Wiggly Wedding (August)
•(2007) Kissing Babies at the Piggly Wiggly
•(2006) Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly

Denise Swanson--Cozy Writer

2008-10-12T14:41:00.001-05:00

•She grew up in rural Illinois in a small town very much like my fictional town of Scumble River.
•Her father was a farmer and my mom a homemaker until I went to college at which time she got a job as a police dispatcher at the local police department.
•She has worked as a school psychologist for 17 years and has worked in every type of school setting from slum to suburban.

•Denise Swanson writes the Scumble River Mystery series featuring school psychologist Skye Denison.
•Her first book, Murder of a Small-Town Honey, was nominated for the Agatha Best First Mystery. It won the Reviewers Choice Awards for Best First Novel and Best Amateur Sleuth, and is currently in its eleventh printing!
•Her second book, Murder of a Sweet Old Lady, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and is in its eighth printing.

•The Scumble River Mysteries:
•(2008) Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry
•(2007) Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
•(2006) Murder of a Real Bad Boy
•(2005) Murder of a Smart Cookie
•(2005) Dead Blondes Tell No Tales (novella in the anthology Drop-Dead Blonde)
•(2004) Murder of a Pink Elephant
•(2003) Murder of a Snake in the Grass
•(2003) Murder of a Barbie and Ken
•(2002) Murder of a Sleeping Beauty
•(2001) Murder of a Sweet Old Lady
•(2000) Murder of a Small-Town Honey (Nominee, Agatha Award, Best First Novel)

Deb Baker--Cozy Library Writer

2008-10-11T14:21:00.001-05:00

•Born on a cold and snowy March day in Escanaba, Michigan, mere miles from the setting for her Gertie Johnson mystery series.
•She is a self-admitted late bloomer and switched degrees many times before finding writing.
•Her big break came when she entered her manuscript in the Authorlink International First Novelist Contest and won, not only the mystery category, but also Best of Show!
•This allowed her to find an agent and get an offer to begin her doll series by Berkley.

•Dolls to Die For Mysteries
•(2008) Dolly Departed
•(2007) Goodbye, Dolly
•(2006) All Dolled Up for Murder
•Yooper Mysteries
•(2007) Murder Grins and Bears It
•(2006) Murder Passes the Buck

Libby Fischer Hellmann--Cozy Library Writer

2008-10-10T14:12:00.001-05:00

•Libby is a transplant from Washington, but has lived in Chicago for thirty years.
•She holds a BS from University of Pennsylvania, and an MFA in Film Production from New York University.

•According to the Chicago Tribune, "Libby Fischer Hellmann has joined an elite club: Chicago mystery writers who not only inhabit the environment but also give it a unique flavor."
•She has written 5 novels starring Chicago video producer, Ellie Forman. She made her debut in 2002 with ‘An Eye for Murder.’
•Ellie Foreman Series
•(2005) A Shot to Die For
•(2004) An Image of Death
•(2003) A Picture of Guilt
•(2002) An Eye for Murder
•Standalone Novel
•(2008) Easy Innocence

Teen Read Week

2008-10-09T18:24:00.003-05:00

Teen Read Week is coming up next week. I love reading books for teens, but I know that most people haven't read them since they were, well...teens! Because teen books have changed so much in recent years, you might want to take an opportunity to find out what is being published in this increasingly popular area.

More and more adults are discovering the joys of teen books - so, if you are looking for a good one, check out the top ten from last year:

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles
Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson
Firegirl by Tony Abbott
All Hallows Eve (13 Stories)by Vivian Vande Velde
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
River Secrets by Shannon Hale
Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe
Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks

Cozy Library Extravanganza II

2008-10-09T14:08:00.002-05:00

Get cozy with authors at the Warren Newport Public Library!
A plethora of authors will appear at the Warren-Newport Public Library in Gurnee in the Cozy Library Extravaganza on Sat., Oct. 18, at 1 p.m.
Writers of "cozy" novels will form a panel to discuss their work, including Libby Hellmann, Lauren Willig, Robert Dalby, Denise Swanson, Helen Osterman, Deb Baker, Charles Dickinson and Julie Hyzy. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Reservations are requested. This is a free program and is open to all.

For the next week we will get a chance to meet an author each day. So...stay turned.

Author Visit ---Reminder

2008-10-08T10:00:00.004-05:00

This Monday, October 13 at 7:00 pm we will be hosting two wonderful Romance writers. If you haven't read these two authors, this is an excellent time to come and meet them.

First let me introduce Julia Quinn to you...I have been reading her for years. Her characters are always witty and well formed and the story lines are great. If you like historical romances she is one not to miss. Her latest is 'Mr. Cavendish, I Presume' and is actually the counterpart to last year's 'The Lost Duke of Wyndham.'

Laura Lee Guhrke is the other author and though I have just started reading her..I love her!! Her stories are great fun and the women are portrayed as women of the times were. I really like that she has stepped away for 'lords and ladies' and has placed in there stead what might have been real people.

I hope to see you all on Monday evening!!!

Things That Go Bump in the Night---Or it Must be October

2008-10-07T16:44:00.003-05:00

Forget the turkey and stuffing and trimming the tree...it's October folks and you know what that means....horror stories and things that go bump in the night. For your reading pleasure several authors have new novels coming out this month.

First up is 'The Ghost in Love' by Jonathan Carroll. A man who survives an accident perplexes the ghost who was to have led him to the afterlife. While the higher authorities investigate the ghost hangs around and falls in love with the man's girlfriend.

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is back with another Count Saint-Germain novel, " A Dangerous Climate.' Disguised as a nobleman during a spy mission in Russia, the vampire Count Saint-Germain witnesses political clashes.

Perennial horror author Peter Straub edits 'Poe's Children: The New Horror: An Anthology.' A chilling anthology of the best of modern horror from twenty five masters including Stephen King, Dan Chaon, Peter Straub, Neil Gaiman and Jonathan Carroll.

And last but certainly not least, Stephen King has gone back to his roots and has written short stories and titled them 'Just After Sunset.'

So don't get left behind....stop in at the Warren Newport Public Library for your scary novels.

Book News---October 2008

2008-10-06T10:39:00.002-05:00

Well, the first week of October is seeing a flurry of new titles. October 5, Anne Rice's 'Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession' discusses her 38 years of athesim and her renewed belief in Christ. Richard Paul Evan's has a 300,000 first printing of his newest novel, 'Grace.' The Warren Newport Public Library has these two books available.