New and Featured Books for 04/04/2012:

Come and check out these and some of the other new books and materials (or at least new to us) added to our library collection…

FICTION:

Calico Joe by John Grisham

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Dorchester Terrace by Anne Perry

Stories For Nighttime And Some For The Day by Ben Loory

Death Of A Kingfisher by M. C. Beaton

The Lady Of The Rivers by Philippa Gregory

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Richard Wright

The Invincible Iron Man: Extremis by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Adi Granov

Ex Machina: The Deluxe Edition, Book 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Tony Harris

Guilty Wives by James Patterson and David Ellis

Another thriller from best selling author James Patterson (and one of his co-writers), this time about a group of women on the vacation of a lifetime that’s gone horribly wrong. You can find an interview with the author at CNN, and a rather large excerpt from the book from the author’s own website.

The Fat Years by Guanzonghong Chan

NON-FICTION:

Career Success Without A Real Job: The Career Book For People Too Smart To Work In Corporations by Ernie J. Zelinski

Drift: The Unmooring Of American Military Power by Rachel Maddow

A fascinating book about how the way we go to war has changed by the author of the popular political talk show. Maddow’s book is not really about the politics, but about ideas and facts (something that politics should treat as a little more holy), and the book features a cover blurb from FOX News’ chief, Roger Ailes, which reads as: “People who like Rachel will love the book. People who don’t will get angry, but aggressive debate is good for America. Drift is a book worth reading.” You can find an interview with the author at The Chicago Sun-Times and reviews at the Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, and at The New York Times.

Distrust That Particular Flavor by William Gibson

A very nice collection of essays, articles, and speeches from the past three decades from Gibson, the writer of science fiction and thrillers, and who has been long proclaimed as a cyber visionary. You can find some very interesting reviews of the book at Tech Crunch, Boing Boing, and on The Verge.

400 Years Of The Telescope: A Journey Of Science, Technology And Thought by Donald Goldsmith

Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, From Kennedy-Nixon To Obama-McCain by Jim Lehrer

Elizabeth The Queen: The Life Of A Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith

The Hilliker Curse: My Pursuit Of Women by James Ellroy

The Next Decade: Where We’ve Been… And Where We’re Going by George Friedman

Looking Within: How X-Ray, CT, Ultrasound, And Other Medical Images Are Created – And How They Help Physicians Save Lives by Anthony Brinton Wolbarst

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Please note that books could be checked out between the time they end up on the blog and when you come to check them out. If you don’t see the items you’re looking for then please come up to the front desk OR send us an email at robinsbaselibrary@gmail.com and we’ll put your name on the reserve list for when the item returns.

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Previous New/Featured books for Adults:

03/29/12.

03/01/12.

02/02/11.

01/27/12.

12/27/11.

And for Young Adults:

04/03/12.

03/20/12.

03/06/12.

02/21/12.

And for Kids/Juvenile Readers:

03/27/12.

03/13/12.

02/28/12.

02/23/12.

New and Featured Books for 03/01/2012:

Come and check out these and some of the other new books and materials (or at least new to us) added to our library collection…

FICTION:

Tigerlily’s Orchid by Ruth Rendell

The Fear Index by Robert Harris

The new thriller from author/journalist Robert Harris, who wrote The Ghost, which was adapted into The Ghost Writer, which was directed by Roman Polanski. Check out reviews from The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Guardian, and there’s a nice interview with the author at CBS’s Author Talk.

The Secret Mistress by Mary Balogh

God’s Gift To Women by Michael Baisden

Side Jobs: Stories From The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Djibouti by Elmore Leonard

A book about modern day pirates by the author who’s been called “The Great American Writer” by Stephen King. You can find an excerpt from Djibouti at Esquire and reviews of the novel from The New York Times and The Millions. You can check out Leonard’s blog, and also read about his admiration for Kathryn Bigelow at The Wall Street Journal.

The Death-Ray, written and illustrated by Daniel Clowes

All My Friends Are Going To Be Strangers by Larry McMurtry

In My Father’s House by E. Lynn Harris

The Wreckage by Michael Robotham

The Angel Esmerelda: Nine Stories by Don Delillo

Harlem Renaissance: Five Novels Of The 1920s, edited by Rafia Zafar

and

Harlem Renaissance: Four Novels Of The 1930s, edited by Rafia Zafar

This is a very exciting two volume set looking at classic works of fiction from an important time in literature and African American history, and featuring authors like Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, Jean Toomer, and George S. Schuyler, and others. As author Junot Diaz says in his blurb on the back of the 1920s edition, “To have all these novels in one place is the best gift any reader could ever ask for.”

Escape by Barbara Delinsky

Camouflage by Bill Pronzini

Shattered by Karen Robards

Gets off to a bit of a slow start, but another fine example of romantic suspense done right by Robards. Check out an excerpt at the author’s website.

NON-FICTION:

New Men: Manliness In Early America, edited by Thomas A. Foster

This is a very intriguing historical gender study of what it was like for men, fresh from the Old World, coming into the New World, and how the definitions of being an American Man were set, based on old prejudices, manners, and mores, through the colonial periods into the revolutionary era, and shaped by a new culture, society, economy, and political system, and factors such a racism and warfare.

Lions Of Kandahar: The Story Of A Fight Against All Odds by Rusty Bradley and Kevin Maurer

Shades Of Glory: The Negro Leagues And The Story Of African-American Baseball by Lawrence D. Hogan

The Insider’s Guide To Colleges, 2012: Students On Campus Tell You What You Really Need To Know, compiled and edited by the staff of The Yale Daily News

Cooking In Other Women’s Kitchens: Domestic Workers In The South, 1865-1960 by Rebecca Sharpless

This book has been said to show the real version of what was tamefully dramatized in The Help, and that alone makes it fascinating, beyond its being a very insightful and informative read, from what a few patrons have told me. And as one review nicely pointed out, the book is very successful in its goal to “discover how African American cooks successfully functioned within a world of extremely hard work, low wages, and omnipresent racial strife.”

A Quick Start Guide To Google Adwords: Get Your Product To The Top Of Google And Reach Your Customers by Mark Harnett

A Quick Start Guide To Cloud Computing: Moving Your Business Into The Cloud by Mark I. Williams

Burn This Book: PEN Writers Speak Out On The Power Of The Word, edited by Toni Morrison

Firebrand Of Liberty: The Story Of Two Black Regiments That Changed The Course Of The Civil War by Stephen V. Ash

The Elements Of User Experience: User-Centered Design For The Web And Beyond by Jesse James Garrett

This is the second edition of the book, a nice refinement from the first edition, and helpful in taking a lot of the simple ideas for good design that you might use on the internet and bringing to other things. Check out an interview with the author from the publisher.

Border War: Fighting Over Slavery Before The Civil War by Stanley Harrold

The Triple Agent: The Al-Qaeda Mole Who Infiltrated The CIA by Joby Warrick

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Please note that books could be checked out between the time they end up on the blog and when you come to check them out. If you don’t see the items you’re looking for then please come up to the front desk and we’ll put your name on the reserve list for when the item returns.

* * *

Previous New/Featured books:

02/02/11.

01/27/12.

12/27/11.

12/23/11.

And for Young Adults:

02/21/12.

02/09/12.

01/31/12.

And for Kids/Juvenile Readers:

02/28/12.

02/23/12.

02/16/12.

01/28/12.

Author quotes: Discrimination, discovery, and freedom.

As I said last week, when you’ve set out to share great quotes from wonderful authors with the world, then it’s nice to be doing so from a library, where there is never a shortage of such unique and talented voices, with such wisdom to share. And today I didn’t want to limit myself to just one voice, so today we are going to hear from three of American literature’s finest…

First we have a nice perspective from one of the writers at the center of the Harlem Renaissance:

“Sometimes I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It is beyond me.”

-Zora Neale Hurston, from “How It Feels To Be Colored Me,” an essay which appeared in The World Tomorrow in May, 1928.

Next we have a quote from a novel that not only changed what people could expect from an African American protagonist, but also from an African American novelist:

“When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.”

-Ralph Ellison, from his famous 1952 novel, Invisible Man, which won the National Book Award in 1953.

Our last quote for today comes from a writer who only wrote one novel in her lifetime, but it was an amazing novel:

“I think there’s just one kind of folks: folks.”

-Harper Lee, from her famous novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, 1960. Lee is, of course, pictured above, with her friend, Truman Capote, her childhood schoolmate, neighbor, and best friend.

Elsewhere on the internet:

It’s important to note that both Invisible Man and To Kill A Mockingbird are on The Modern Library’s list of 100 Best Novels, a nice list of the best novels written in the English language in the twentieth century.

It’s also important to note that Invisible Man, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Their Eyes Were Watching God are all on Time magazine’s list of the 100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to 2005.

The New York Times’ review of Invisible Man.

Saul Bellow’s review of Invisible Man.

A podcast about Ralph Ellison, and how his works are still being taught today, from Voices Of America.

An interview with Ralph Ellison in The Paris Review.

To Kill A Mockingbird: A historical perspective.

Harper Lee was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.

To Kill A Mockingbird was named the UK’s most beloved book last year.

The mystery of Harper Lee.

Harper Lee made a rare written appearance in 2006, writing an open letter to Oprah Winfrey in O magazine.

The official website of Zora Neale Hurston.

Study guides for Their Eyes Were Watching God at both Grade Saver and Shmoop.

An interview with Zora Neale Hurston about her research into actual zombies in Haiti.

An in depth biography of Zora Neale Hurston from Gale.

At the library we have quite a few books both by Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, and Harper Lee, and about them. To Kill A Mockingbird and Their Eyes Were Watching God are always popular, partially because students get assignments involving them every year, so I’m glad that we have those books, as well as quite a few volumes of literary criticism about their authors, but I wish more people would come in asking about Ralph Ellison. Either way, there’s a reason that all three of these authors and their works are considered classics and I hope you’ll come and check them out.

New and Featured Books for Young Adults for 02/21/2012:

Come and check out these and some of the other new books and materials (or at least new to us) for Young Adults added to our library collection…

FICTION:

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and illustrated by Maira Kalman

Daniel Handler writes fun and interesting novels for all ages, including books for adults and young adults under his own name, and the popular A Series Of Unfortunate Events books he wrote for kids under the name Lemony Snicket, and so I’m expecting his new book to be a winner. And to help promote it, he’s started The Why We Broke Up Project, which allows users to log in and share and read their own stories of romantic woe.

Pretty Bad Things by C. J. Skuse

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Ultimate Spider-Man: Death Of Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Mark Bagley

Takio by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming

The Only Ones by Aaron Starmer

Never Have I Ever by Sara Shepard

Two Truths And A Lie by Sarah Shepard

Pretty Little Secrets by Sara Shepard

New books in the Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game series.

Daughter Of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor

Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

A touching, sweet, and fascinating love story about a boy and girl who meet at a cancer patients support group, and already one of the most well reviewed novels of the year, and one of the most cherished, and before that it had been one of the most anticipated.  John Green has proved to be one of the most popular authors amongst our young adult readers, and we don’t think this book will disappoint his fans in the slightest. The book, of course, has already been optioned for a film treatment. Check out this interview the author did with The Wall Street Journal.

NON-FICTION:

Inside The Olympics by Nick Hunter

Can I See Your I.D.?: True Stories Of False Identities by Chris Barton and illustrated by Paul Hoppe

Booklist has called this book “thoroughly researched and grippingly presented,” and author Chris Barton brings you ten vignettes that are insightful and exhilarating. The stories are true, and fascinating, and presented in a way that’s easy for the reader to get into the mindset of the historical person whose masquerade and adventure is being read about. One of the subjects included is Frank Abagnale, who was a confidence man, forger, skilled impostor, and escape artist who later reformed and went on to work as a security consultant after he reformed. His autobiography, Catch Me If You Can, was later turned into a film starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg. You can find author Chris Barton talking about his book below:

Money And Banking (Dollars And Sense: A Guide To Financial Literacy) by Jonah Wallach and Clare Tattersall

Savings And Investments (Dollars And Sense: A Guide To Financial Literacy) by David W. Berg and Meg Green

Sojourner Truth, A Self-Made Woman by Victoria Ortiz

Black Gold: The Story Of Oil In Our Lives by Albert Marrin

Beyond Bullets: A Photo Journal Of Afghanistan by Rafal Gerszak with Dawn Hunter

Author/photojournalist Rafal Gerszak first went to Afghanistan in 2008 and spent a year embedded with an American military unit, documenting the life of U.S. soldiers in the country, seeing what they saw and experiencing what they experienced. Later, Gerszak came back to Afghanistan, with no escort, completely on his own, with the goal of documenting the daily life of the people of Afghanistan, to see what their lives are like during this wartime. This book provides not just one fascinating perspective on a country mired in conflict, but two perspectives. It’s an amazing look at war, one that is humanized, but never romanticized.

Malcom X: A Graphic Biography by Andrew Helfer and illustrated by Randy DuBurke

Into The Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way By Land, Sea, and Air by Stewart Ross and illustrated by Stephen Biesty

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Please note that books could be checked out between the time they end up on the blog and when you come to check them out. If you don’t see the items you’re looking for then please come up to the front desk and we’ll put your name on the reserve list for when the item returns.

* * *

Previous New/Featured books for Adults:

02/14/11.

02/02/12.

01/27/12.

12/27/11.

12/23/11.

And for Young Adults:

02/09/12.

01/31/12.

And for Kids/Juvenile Readers:

02/16/12.

01/28/12.

New and Featured Books for Kids/Juvenile Readers for 02/16/2012:

Come and check out these and some of the other new books and materials (or at least new to us) for younger and juvenile readers added to our library collection…

EASY READING:

Levi Strauss Gets A Bright Idea: A Fairly Fabricated Story Of A Pair Of Pants by Tony Johnston and illustrated by Stacy Innerst

Titus’ Troublesome Tooth by Linda Jennings and illustrated by Gwyneth Williamson

Furious George Goes Bananas: A Primate Parody by Michael Rex

Looking Like Me by Walter Dean Myers and illustrated by Christopher Myers

A celebration in poetry, a praise of who we all are as individuals, and a great book for any child who might need even the slightest little boost to their self esteem. Check out this interview with Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers.

Cupid And Psyche by M. Charlotte Craft and illustrated by Kinuko Y. Craft

Over The Green Hills by Rachel Isadora

I Will Come Back For You: A Family In Hiding During World War II by Marisabina Russo

You don’t see a lot of books about the experiences of the Jews during World War II aimed towards a juvenile reading audience, but this book is a welcome addition. It works both as a nice, and age appropriate introduction to that part of history for the younger reader as well as being a nice book for the Hanukkah season. The book is based on stories from the author’s family and you can find the book’s trailer here.

Better Than You by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by Adam Gustavson

Mr. Putter & Tabby Catch The Cold by Cynthia Rylant

Dad, Jackie, And Me by Myron Uhlberg and illustrated by Colin Bootman

FICTION:

The Trumpeter Of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

A Mango-Spaced Shape by Wendy Mass

Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy Like My Sister Kate: Looking At The Harlem Renaissance Through Poems by Nikki Giovanni

The Mammoth Academy by Neal Layton

The Mammoth Academy In Trouble! by Neal Layton

Over The Edge: A Mystery In Grand Canyon National Park by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson

Abigail Iris: The Pet Project by Lisa Glatt and Suzanne Greenberg and illustrated by Joy Allen

Almost To Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Colin Bootman

A touching story of a girl’s journey on the Underground Railroad and her doll who comes with her as they attempt to make their way to freedom. The art is beautiful and the historical setting of the story is very endearing, conveyed nicely in use of the character’s dialects and spirituals referred to. The book is a Coretta Scott King Honor book and was adapted into a play. You can find an interview with Vaunda Micheaux Nelson here and here.

NON-FICTION:

If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking The Secrets of Stonehenge by Marc Aronson

Name That Style: All About Isms In Art by Bob Raczka

A nice introduction of different art styles for kids, tweens, and maybe even adults. The book features full color reproductions of famous works of art as well as histories of their creators, styles, and eras. Very highly recommended.

Life Of A Slave On A Southern Plantation by Stephen Currie

My Friend Has Down Syndrome by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos and illustrated by Marta Fabrega

Venturing The Deep Sea by Laurie Lindop

Babies Don’t Eat Pizza: A Big Kids’ Book About Baby Brothers And Baby Sisters by Dianne Danzig and illustrated by Debbie Tilley

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Please note that books could be checked out between the time they end up on the blog and when you come to check them out. If you don’t see the items you’re looking for then please come up to the front desk and we’ll put your name on the reserve list for when the item returns.

* * *

Previous New/Featured books for Adults:

02/14/11.

02/02/12.

01/27/12.

12/27/11.

12/23/11.

12/19/11.

And for Young Adults:

02/09/12.

01/31/12.

And for Kids/Juvenile Readers:

01/28/12.

Author quotes: Burning books.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. once said, “We must be careful what we pretend to be,”  which is one of my favorite quotes of all time, but Vonnegut was a highly opinionated and prolific author and essayist, and he was always a good source for a good quote or a witty turn of phrase.

The other day I got into a conversation with a few patrons not just about the need for intellectual curiosity in people, especially in this day and age, but the need for constant access to the tools that could inspire and grow that curiosity in these modern times, and it reminded me of something Vonnegut had said a few years before his death (in 2007):

“While on the subject of burning books, I want to congratulate librarians, not famous for their physical strength, who, all over this country, have staunchly resisted anti-democratic bullies who have tried to remove certain books from their shelves, and destroyed records rather than have to reveal to thought police the names of persons who have checked out those titles.

So the America I loved still exists, if not in the White House, the Supreme Court, the Senate, the House of Representatives, or the media. The America I loved still exists at the front desks of our public libraries.

And still on the subject of books: our daily news sources, newspapers and TV, are now so craven, so unvigilant on behalf of the American people, so uninformative, that only in books do we learn what’s really going on.”

-from A Man Without A Country, his 2005 memoir/essay collection.

You can find an excerpt from the book over at The Guardian, which includes the portion the above text comes from. Much of this book, and in particular this excerpt, are very political with Vonnegut discussing his disappointment in the then-current political climate of the country. Whether you agree with Vonnegut’s politics there or not, you have to admire that there are some nuggets of common sense true for all people, and that he always maintained a strong humanistic outlook on life.

Also, on a side note, in the paragraph preceding the above quote Vonnegut references Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, his documentary about the September 11 attacks and everything after, and reminds us that the title of the documentary is a reference/parody of Ray Bradbury’s great, classic science fiction novel, Fahrenheit 451. That novel refers to the fact that 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the combustion point, at which paper and the information on it will burn.

The gist of it is this: Not to toot our own horn (too much) but libraries curate and cultivate information, and with information comes intelligence, which is never a bad thing and always in short supply. The library is a resource that you should never let go to waste.

by Eddie Campbell, from here.

Elsewhere on the internet:

Vonnegut’s obituary in The New York Times.

15 things Vonnegut said better than anyone else ever has or will.

Venus On The Half-Shell by Philip José Farmer under the name “Kilgore Trout.”

Vonnegut’s advice for writers.

Vonnegut’s story diagrams.

“Harrison Bergeron,” Vonnegut’s classic short story.

An interview with Vonnegut in The Paris Review.

“2BR02B,” a 1962 short story that appeared in Vonnegut’s third collection, Bagombo Snuff Box.

“The Big Trip Up Yonder,” a short story that appeared in Vonnegut’s first two collections under different names.

The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library in Indianapolis.

Dave Eggers reviews Vonnegut’s first collection of unpublished fiction.

At the library we have quite a few books both by Vonnegut and about his life and work, including When Mortals Sleep, a posthumous release of previously unpublished short fiction by the author, as well as And So It Goes – Kurt Vonnegut: A Life, a new biography of the author by Charles J. Shields, and…

Vonnegut And Hemingway: Writers At War by Lawrence Broer, which draws interesting parallels between these two literary artists, who previously might have been only been coupled together by how vastly different they were. Both were born under the spectre of hereditary insanity, forged in wartime experiences, and used their writing as a means of therapy and survival. And how much more fitting to see them linked, since Hemingway was our quoted author last week? I hope you’ll come and check them out.

New and Featured Books for 02/02/2012:

Come and check out these and some of the other new books and materials (or at least new to us) added to our library collection…

FICTION:

Gideon’s Corpse by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Breakdown by Sara Paretsky

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

The newest novel by the acclaimed author who won the Pulitzer Prize for Middlesex. You can find reviews for this book at The New York Observer, The Huffington Post, and The New York Times. There’s also an interesting interview with the author at The Economist.

We also have an anthology of classic and contemporary short stories that was edited with Eugenides, entitled My Mistress’s Sparrow Is Dead: Great Love Stories, From Chekhov To Munro. It deals with love in its many, many forms and would make for very interesting reading as we approach Valentine’s Day.

Flashback by Dan Simmons

Robocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson

A summer blockbuster movie in book form, and soon to be made into a movie by none other than Steven Spielberg. What else do you need to know?

A Devil Is Waiting by Jack Higgins

Home Front by Kristin Hannah

NON-FICTION:

100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People by Susan M. Weinschenk

I Got This: How I Changed My Ways And Lost What Weighed Me Down by Jennifer Hudson

Living Longer For Dummies by Walter M. Bortz

The Ethics Of Spying: A Reader For The Intelligence Professional, edited by Jan Goldman

The Ghost Map: The Story Of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic – And How It Changed Science, Cities, And The Modern World by Steven Johnson

Extra Virginity: The Sublime And Scandalous World Of Olive Oil by Tom Mueller

If there’s one thing we want from our food, it’s scandal and conspiracy, right? Americans are comparatively new to the romance of olive oil, but could that love be fraudulent?

The Real Romney by Michael Kranish and Scott Helman

Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World At War, December 1941 by Stanley Weintraub

A fascinating and extensively researched look at the first few weeks of the second World War.

Degradation: What The History Of Obscenity Tells Us About Hate Speech by Kevin W. Saunders

Prophets And Princes: Saudi Arabia From Muhammad To The Present by Mark Weston

* * *

Please note that books could be checked out between the time they end up on the blog and when you come to check them out. If you don’t see the items you’re looking for then please come up to the front desk and we’ll put your name on the reserve list for when the item returns.

* * *

Previous New/Featured books:

01/27/12.

12/27/11.

12/23/11.

12/19/11.

12/17/11.

12/16/11.

And for Young Adults:

01/31/12.

And for Kids/Juvenile Readers:

01/28/12.