About Books: Fairfax County Public Library

Math for Everyone

2012-02-01T09:49:00.005-05:00

Are you someone who couldn’t comprehend multiplication tables by the time friends had mastered them or never got beyond high school algebra? Ian Stewart, author of more than 80 books on popular mathematics, suggests a few written for the curious novice ("Ian Stewart's Top Ten Popular Mathematics Books," The Guardian, Jan. 18, 2012).

Magical Mathematics by Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham

The Man Who Knew Infinity by Robert Kanigel

Gödel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter

The Colossal Book of Mathematics by Martin Gardner

What Is Mathematics, Really? by Reuben Hersh

Read the Book First

2012-01-25T11:24:00.008-05:00

In 2012 film adaptions of both bestsellers and classics will feature all-star casts and well-known directors, reports The Huffington Post ("The 10 Most Anticipated Book Adaptations of 2012," Jan. 21, 2012). Ralph Fiennes will star in “Great Expectations.” Keira Knightly will play Anna Karenina. Baz Luhrmann is directing “The Great Gatsby” in 3D with Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby, Toby McGuire as Nick and Carey Mulligan as Daisy. Director Ang Lee is at the helm for a 3D “Life of Pi.”

So, get ready for this year’s crop of literary flicks and read the books first. Here are a few more book-to-film titles in 2012:

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant

Nordic Noir

2012-01-18T13:39:00.007-05:00

Thanks to the popularity of Steig Larsson’s dark thrillers, Nordic noir is thriving, writes USA Today staffer Carol Memmott ("Chill with the Season's New Nordic Noir," Jan. 16, 2012). Appropriate to the season, she offers recommendations for several new thrillers set in wintry Scandinavian landscapes. Our staff offers a few older titles others to try.

1222: A Hanne Wilhelmsen Novel by Anne Holt

Cell 8 by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom

Night Rounds: An Inspector Irene Huss Investigation by Helene Tursten (coming soon; place a hold)

The Leopard by Jo Nesbo

Missing by Karin Alvtegen

2012-01-11T10:41:00.005-05:00

To shake the post-holiday blahs, libraries in Great Britain are promoting books to lift the spirits, reports The Guardian ("Glad Tidings of Mood-Boosting Reading," Jan. 10, 2012). According to The Reading Group, which organized the promotion, some research “shows reading improves mental well-being and reduces stress by over two-thirds.” Chosen by reading groups in the United Kingdom and endorsed by a British mental health professional, the entire list of recommendations is available at LibraryThing. In the meantime, here is a sampling:

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde

Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Resolved

2012-01-04T10:58:00.005-05:00

It’s that time of year. Resolutions abound. We want to lose weight, exercise more, spend less and become better people in general. Recently, Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal, writing in The Huffington Post, offered some suggested books to help us achieve our 2012 goals. She believes that the best reading may not be in self-help books, but that “sometimes the most life-changing ideas and advice are found in the science section.” Scientific studies often offer “ah ha” moments for changing behaviors, McGonigal believes. Here are a few of her recommendations:

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman

Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping: Updated and Revised for the Internet, the Global Consumer and Beyond by Paco Underhill

Carrots and Sticks: Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done by Ian Ayres

Looking for more help? Check out some of our staff choices on our website at Our Staff Recommends: Books for a New You.

Holiday Stories

2011-12-21T09:43:00.008-05:00

Looking for some holiday reading? USA Today recently published a list of novels for the season ("Christmas Novels Spread Holiday Cheer," Dec. 19, 2011). Holiday-themed stories are great last-minute gifts. Here are a few you can preview in our catalog:

The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

His Mistress by Christmas by Victoria Alexander

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans

Hanukkah Lights: Stories of the Season from NPR’s Annual Holiday Special
by National Public Radio

Personality Plus

2011-12-14T10:08:00.002-05:00

Nancy Pearl, who the New York Times calls “the talk of librarian circles”, loves books with memorable characters. The librarian and author of the Book Lust series recently shared her favorite "7 Books With Personality" with National Public Radio. Here they are:

In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard

A World on Fire by Amanda Foreman

Blind Sight by Meg Howrey

The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen

By George by Wesley Stace

Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner

Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham

2011-12-07T10:31:00.003-05:00

2011’s Top Fiction at FCPL

As 2011 winds down, this is the season for lists and the Fairfax County Public Library is no exception. Below is a list of the top ten fiction books that library customers checked out this year, compiled by staff in our Collections and Acquisitions Department:

The Confession by John Grisham

Hell’s Corner by David Baldacci

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Steig Larson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larson

Sing you Home by Jodi Picoult

Toys by James Patterson & Neil McMahon

The Reversal by Michael Connelly

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell

Zoo Stories

2011-11-30T10:17:00.014-05:00

With last week’s release of Betty White’s Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo and the upcoming film version of the memoir, We Bought a Zoo, starring Matt Damon, our nation’s menageries are in the news. USA Today recently interviewed White on her longtime relationship with the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens as a trustee, benefactor and volunteer ("For Betty White It's Still Happening at the Zoo" Nov. 29, 2011). She told writer Bob Minzesheimer that she once had a friend named Gita – an Asian elephant, “who liked to have her tongue slapped,” and she was happy to oblige her.

We Bought a Zoo: The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals that Changed Their Lives Forever by Benjamin Mee relates the trials and tribulations of attempting to restore a dilapidated zoo and the comfort the project brought when tragedy struck the family.

If zoos intrigue you, here are a few more books (and one eVideo) to enjoy:

Life at the Zoo: Behind the Scenes with the Animal Doctors by Philip T. Robinson

Zoo: the Modern Ark by Jake Page

Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives by Thomas French

Babylon’s Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo by Lawrence Anthony

The New Zoos by PBS (eVideo)

Jane Austen: A Suspicious Death?

2011-11-16T14:21:00.003-05:00

A British crime novelist, Lindsey Ashford, suspects Jane Austen’s early death at 41 may have been due to arsenic poisoning, according to The Guardian ("Jane Austen Died From Arsenic Poisoning," Nov. 14, 2011). Several years ago Ashford moved to Chawton, where Austen once lived, and became interested in old volumes of her letters. In one, she recognized Austen complaining of skin discoloration that sounded like symptoms of arsenic poisoning. As a crime writer, she had researched poisons. Arsenic was widely available in Austen’s era, used to treat everything from rheumatism, which Austen complained of, to syphilis.

But, Ashford doesn’t rule out a more nefarious conclusion. "I don't think murder is out of the question," she said. "Having delved into her family background, there was a lot going on that has never been revealed and there could have been a motive for murder.”

An editor for the Cambridge edition of Jane Austen disagrees, reports The Guardian. "I doubt very much she would have been poisoned intentionally. I think it's very unlikely. But the possibility she had arsenic for rheumatism, say, is quite likely," she said. "It's certainly odd that she died quite so young. [But] in the absence of digging her up and finding out, which would not be appreciated, nobody knows what she died of."

If you would like to read more about Austen, here are a few good biographies:

Jane’s Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World by Claire Harman

Becoming Jane Austen: A Life by Jon Spence

Searching for Jane Austen by Emily Auerbach

Jane Austen: A Penguin Life by Carol Shields

Jane Austen: A Life by David Nokes

The Best of 2011?

2011-11-09T09:05:00.005-05:00

It’s only early November, but Publishers Weekly has released its list of the Best Books of 2011. It includes everything from Tina Fey’s Bossypants to great fiction from Ann Patchett and Jeffrey Eugenides, as well as biographies of Hemingway and Catherine the Great. Below is just a sampling. Let us know what you consider your best reading this year:

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Devil All the Time by David Ray Pollock

Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie

Hemingway’s Boat by Paul Hendrickson

One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina

The Irresistible Sherlock Holmes

2011-11-02T11:34:00.016-05:00

The first new Sherlock Holmes novel authorized by Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate, The House of Silk, was released yesterday, writes USA Today. (Sherlock Holmes: Alive and Well, Nov. 1, 2011).
Penned by Anthony Horowitz, author of the popular Alex Rider books for teens and the public television series “Foyle’s War,” it is but one of several new Holmes-inspired books either just published or in the works.
When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes’ creator, died in 1930, he had written four novels and 56 stories and didn’t realize he was creating an industry.
My favorite Holmes-inspired mysteries are those by Laurie King. The first in the series is The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, which introduces 18-year-old novice sleuth Mary Russell, who assists the retired Holmes in a new series of mysteries.

Here are a few others that feature the popular Victorian detective:

Sherlock Holmes: The American Years by Michael Kurland

Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killers by Dr. John H. Watson
by Lindsay Faye

Ghosts in Baker Street by Martin Greenberg

An Opened Grave: Sherlock Holmes Investigates His Ultimate Case by L. Frank James

Of course there is nothing like the original: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Horrors!

2011-10-26T10:58:00.017-05:00

All Hallows Eve is less than a week away and for those who like a good scare, BookList Online, a publishing trade journal and valuable tool for librarians, recently published a list of the 2011’s Top Ten Horror Books. Here is a sampling:

Dust by Joan Frances Turner

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

The Glass Demon by Helen Grant

Jane and the Damned by Janet Mullany

Reading: The Power to Heal

2011-10-19T09:00:00.007-05:00

The library has just ordered the well-reviewed Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch. In this memoir the author, after the death of a sister, chooses to savor a book a day for a year. One critic writes that her book “reminds us of the most primal function of literature-to heal, to nurture and to connect us to our truest selves."

Sankovitch is not the first writer to discover the nurturing power of the written word. Here are a few more:

The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared by Alice Ozma

My Reading Life by Pat Conroy

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi

The Year of Reading Proust: A Memoir in Real Time by Phyllis Rose

The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: A Memoir, A History by Lewis Buzbee

The Zombie Phenomenon

2011-10-12T13:42:00.006-05:00

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but zombies seem to have invaded American culture. It began with preteen and teen boys, but now the zombie phenomenon seems to be everywhere. Of course, there is the popularity of AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” Also, authors such as Max Brooks have memorialized the creatures in tongue-in-cheek books such as The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, soon to be a movie with Brad Pitt. Brooks will discuss “10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack” on October 25 in the Board Auditorium at the Fairfax County Government Center. Seats are going fast. Sign up here.

A search of our catalog finds 119 items of zombie fiction listed. In addition to Brooks’ two books, here are a few more considered among the best:

Feed by Mira Grant

The Living Dead by John Joseph Adams

Monster Island by David Wellington

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (and sequels) by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

The Supremes

2011-10-05T09:36:00.013-05:00

John Paul Stevens, who served on the U.S. Supreme Court for 35 years, has just published Five Chiefs, part memoir and part history of the chief justices of the United States. The 91-year-old Stevens was the third-longest-serving Supreme Court Justice when he retired in 2010.

The book’s appearance coincides with the first Monday in October, the Court’s traditional opening day each year. At 10 a.m. last Monday, the nine justices of the Court gathered to tackle decisions on the complex and controversial issues that will come before them this term. Stevens’ memoir is certainly not the first to offer a glimpse into the sometimes obscure workings of this influential body. If you want to learn a bit more about the nation’s highest court, try the books below. Many more are listed in our catalog. Just search “Supreme Court. United States.”

Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge’s View by Steven Breyer

The Majesty of the Law: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice by Sandra Day O’Connor

My Grandfather’s Son: A Memoir by Clarence Thomas

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin

The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court by Bob Woodward

Canine Celebrities

2011-09-28T13:44:00.006-05:00

Susan Orlean, a New Yorker writer, best known for The Orchid Thief, a non-fiction account of John LaRoche and his band of Seminoles that poached orchards in south Florida, has now written a biography of Rin-Tin-Tin and his many descendants. One reviewer (“Rin Tin Tin: The Life and Legend,” Christian Science Monitor, Sept. 27, 2011) wrote: the “unfurling narrative of Susan Orlean’s Rin Tin Tin, about the canine movie star, unleashes a cultural history of German shepherds and the changing role of dogs from farm workers to war heroes to pets; the evolution of the motion picture industry from silents to talkies to television; and an exploration of why some cultural icons continue to beguile. ” Place a hold on this unique bio.

While Orlean’s wide-ranging curiosity is a delight, I also wondered what other canines – famous or otherwise – have merited their own bios. Here are a few:

First Friends: American Presidents and Their Best Friends by Roy Rowan

Millie’s Book by Barbara Bush

Shaggy Muses: The Dogs Who Inspired Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Edith Wharton, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Emily Bronte by Maureen B. Adams

Laika by Nick Abadzis (Young Adult)

Storm Reading

2011-09-21T13:28:00.005-05:00

It’s a bit late, perhaps. But, since we endured both the remnants of hurricanes Irene and Lee in recent weeks, you may want to sample some great fiction and nonfiction devoted to stormy weather. During Irene, The Daily Beast published its list of the best "hurricane lit." Here are some you can curl up with during the next bout of bad weather.

Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938 by R.A. Scotti

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger

Typhoon by Joseph Conrad

A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes

Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson

Halls of Ivy

2011-09-14T09:50:00.004-05:00

“School is a near universal experience,” wrote Rachel Syme in National Public Radio’s “Monkey See” blog last week ("Books With Class: Autumn Books That Bring Back the School Daze," Sept. 10, 2011). She admits that we recall our days of study in many different ways, but whether our memories are fond or otherwise, many reflect on our classroom experiences during the early days of September. Syme recommends five novels that attempt to capture those complex times – sometimes innocent and sometimes not:

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Old School by Tobias Wolff

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Fiction and 9/11

2011-09-07T09:28:00.008-05:00

The BBC recently asked an interesting question online: "Is There a Novel That Defines the 9/11 Decade?" (Aug. 27, 2011). Writer Alizeh Kohari mentions several works of fiction: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid; Incredibly Loud & Extremely Close by Jonathan Safran Foer; and Open City by Teju Cole, but concludes that a decade may not be long enough for a defining novel to emerge. After all, Tolstoy’s War and Peace appeared 50 years after Napoleon invaded Russia. According to Bowker’s Books in Print database, 164 works of fiction have appeared in the past 10 years that deal with the events of 9/11. Whether one of them will endure the test of time – or is still to be written -- may yet be determined.

The library’s catalog lists 40 novels with a 9/11 theme. Here are just a few:

My New American Life by Francine Prose

Falling Man by Don DeLillo

The Submission by Amy Waldman

The Writing on the Wall by Lynn Sharon Schwartz

The Whole World Over by Julia Glass

All Fairfax Reads: Little Princes

2011-08-31T09:47:00.004-05:00

September is a day away and as All Fairfax Reads winds down, we’ve planned a series of programs for all those who have read (or plan to read) the 2011 selection, Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan.

Here is the line-up:

Expeditions to Nepal: Beyond Everest, Sept. 13, 7 p.m. Sherwood Regional Library. National Geographic adventurer Peter Athans describes his travels, archaeological discoveries and humanitarian work in Nepal. Sign up online or call 703-765-3645.

Little Princes Discussion, Sept. 14, 7 p.m. Reston Regional Library. Cosponsored by the Fairfax Library Foundation. No registration required.

Himalayan Religion and the Culture of Nepal, Sept. 15, 7 p.m. Kings Park Library. Georgetown Professor Benjamin Bogin talks about the religion and culture of Nepal. Sign up online beginning Sept. 1. Or call 703-978-5600.

Conor Grennan, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m. Harris Theatre on the campus of George Mason University. The All Fairfax Reads author discusses his book. No registration required. Cosponsored by Fall for the Book.

Check out the All Fairfax Reads page on the library’s website for more info on the author, the book, discussion questions and additional reading, including the books
below:

Nonfiction:
The Places In Between by Rory Stewart
Murder in the High Himalaya by Jonathan Green
Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen

Fiction:
Pay It Forward by Catherine Hyde
The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans
Arresting God in Kathmandu by Samrat Upadhyay

When the Earth Shakes

2011-08-24T12:44:00.005-05:00

Well, it was a new experience for me and my colleagues at the Fairfax County Government Center when the floor under my feet began to shake. At first I thought it was some construction work on the floor below me. Then as I followed others out the building I considered an explosion. It wasn’t until we completely evacuated and started to browse Twitter feeds and Facebook pages, that I learned it was an earthquake. It certainly doesn’t compare to the devastation earthquakes have caused in other parts of the world, but for a native East Coaster it was definitely disorienting.

While there is much online about yesterday’s uncommon event, I was curious about the history of earthquakes in the Old Dominion and found a few websites to enlighten me. They include:

Earthquakes in Virginia

Virginia's Largest Earthquakes

Historic Earthquake - Giles County, VA 1897

Got a quake story? Feel free to share.

Choosing an E-Reader

2011-08-17T09:04:00.007-05:00

In a recent New York Times “Personal Tech” column, writer Nick Bilton explored the reading experience on a variety of devices, ("Deciding on a Book and How to Read It," Aug. 10, 2011). Bilton chose one book, The Alienist by Caleb Carr, and read a chapter at a time on a Kindle, a Nook, both iterations of the iPad, an iPhone, an Android phone, an Android tablet, a laptop computer and even a paperback book! His conclusion: “I was torn between the Kindle and the iPad 2 . . . But if money is tight, go for print. My used paperback cost only $4.”

Whatever your choice – and e-readers do have some advantages – they can store a lot of reading material for that trip to the beach or flight across the country – the library offers an extensive collection of free downloadable eBooks and other e-formats through Overdrive and several other vendors.

For those new to e-reader technology, staff at several branches are offering one-on-one sessions or specific classes:

Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library offers ongoing personalized eBook/e-reader instruction with a trained staff member. Call 703-790-8088 to make an appointment.

Oakton Library will offer eBook/e-reader instruction on Sept. 15, 22 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. to help you learn about e-book/e-reader options and/or your e-reader. Call 703-242-4020 to make an appointment.

Reston Regional Library will offer "Discover EBooks" on Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. to celebrate a generous gift from the Friends of the Reston Regional Library to increase our eBook collection with a live demonstration on how to download eBooks.

Babar Turns 80

2011-08-10T09:56:00.003-05:00

With the publication of Babar’s Celesteville Games, the endearing, yet sometimes controversial elephant turns 80. Few may know that the pachyderm had two creators. In a profile of Laurent de Brunhoff, son of Babar’s first creator Jean de Brunoff ("Down Memory Lane With Babar the Elephant," Aug. 8, 2011), USA Today writer Bob Minzesheimer chronicles the series that is still popular with young readers.

The newest book is 42nd in the series that began when Laurent de Brunhoff was five and his mother made up a story about an unnamed young elephant who was playing in the jungle when his mother was shot by hunters. When de Brunhoff and his younger brother told the story to their artist father the next day, he decided to illustrate it and the series was born. Histoire de Babar: Le Petit Eléphant was published in 1931 and appeared in the U.S. two years later, Minzesheimer writes.

Jean de Brunhoff created five Babar books before he died of tuberculosis 1937. His son, Laurent, was only 13. He later attended the same art school as his father and became an abstract painter, but at 21 found himself drawing the elephant he had once loved.

While some praise the books, others have criticized them, especially those written during France’s colonial period. Toni Morrison, a Random House editor in the 1960s, criticized the depiction of natives in the 1949 book Babar’s Picnic. The author agreed to allow the publisher drop the book and let it go out-of-print. He admits to being embarrassed at some of his father’s early books, as well as his own, Minzesheimer says.

Times have changed, but the classic pachyderm seems to have endured. In Babar’s Celesteville the African elephant’s daughter, Flora, meets and marries an Indian elephant at some Olympic-style games with international animal athletes.

Want to read more about Babar? Here’s a few books to try:

The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff

Bonjour Babar! The Six Unabridged Classics by the Creator of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff

Babar Comes to America by Laurent de Brunhoff

Babar’s Busy Year by Laurent de Brunoff

Should We Burn Babar? Essays on Children’s Literature and the Power of Stories by Herbert Kohl

Barbara Kingsolver Wins Literary Peace Prize

2011-08-03T10:02:00.004-05:00

Author Barbara Kingsolver will receive the Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, formerly known as the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Lifetime Achievement, on Nov. 13, reports the Associated Press ("Ohio Literature Award Renamed for Holbrooke," Aug. 2, 2011). The award was originally named for the 1995 Dayton peace accords on Bosnia held near the Ohio city and brokered by negotiator Richard Holbrooke. Holbrooke died in December 2010. The $10,000 prize is supported by corporations, schools, arts groups and private donors.

“I love that the organization is honoring this sort of higher value of literature to create empathy,” Kingsolver told the AP. “You can't bang anyone over the head with a stick and make peace; you only do so by convincing people that strangers' lives are valid and equal to their own; that's what literature does.”

Kingsolver, who now lives in southwestern Virginia, is the author of such bestselling novels as The Bean Trees (1988), Pigs in Heaven (1993) and The Poisonwood Bible (1998). Her nonfiction Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (2007) also topped bestseller lists.

Some other books by Kingsolver include:

The Lacuna (2009)

Small Wonder (2002)

Prodigal Summer (2000)

High Tide in Tuscon: Essays From Now or Never (1995)

Animal Dreams (1990)

True Crime

2011-07-27T09:46:00.003-05:00

With the recent publication of Jennifer Dugan’s Stolen Life, true crime books are in the news again. Dugan, who was kidnapped at the age of 11 and imprisoned for 18 years, has written an account of her experience that is receiving high praise for her refusal to be seen as a victim.

I admit (with a bit of guilt) to have been a true crime aficionado in my past. I have probably read most of Ann Rule’s books, as well as others, such as Joe McGinniss’ Fatal Vision about the murder conviction of Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald.

There are many theories as to why people read true crime. It has been theorized as self-indulgence – the need to know the whole story. (Plato wrote: “the virtuous man is content to dream what the wicked man really does.” Others suggest it teaches moral lessons and still others feel it helps maintain a society’s norms.

Whatever the reasons, here are some lesser-known titles that are considered the best of the genre:

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank by Steve Oney

The Poet and the Murderer by Mark Hofmann

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Strange Piece of Paradise by Terri Jentz

Celebrity Memoirs

2011-07-13T12:15:00.003-05:00

Flavorwire recently published a list of celebrity memoirs, pairing classics with similar contemporary tell-alls. ("Classic Celebrity Memoirs and Their Contemporary Counterparts," June 12, 2011). Some of the pairs include:

By Myself and Then Some by Lauren Bacall
and
Just Kids by Patti Smith

Out on a Limb by Shirley MacLaine
and
Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock by Sammy Hagar

The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier
and
Life by Keith Richards

Beach Bag Books

2011-07-07T13:04:00.001-05:00

About.com has pulled together a great "Top Books to Read at the Beach" list for all tastes. There are recommendations for those who like serial mysteries, chick lit, tear jerkers, “smart reads” or 2011’s hottest. Here is a sampling in various categories:

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (serial mystery)

Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay Andrews (chick lit)

Heat by Bill Buford (smart read)

Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston (tear jerker)

Bossypants by Tina Fey (2011 hottest)

The Art of Reading

2011-06-29T09:51:00.005-05:00

“Sometime late last year -- I don't remember when, exactly -- I noticed I was having trouble sitting down to read,” begins a 2009 essay by former Los Angeles Times book critic David L. Ulin, ("The Lost Act of Reading," Aug. 9, 2009). Ulin argued that “reading is an act of contemplation, perhaps the only act in which we allow ourselves to merge with the consciousness of another human being.”

“Books,” he continued, “enlarge us by giving direct access to experiences not our own. In order for this to work, however, we need a certain type of silence, an ability to filter out the noise.” Ulin argued that in the age of blogs, Facebook and Twitter, the act of reading has become a distraction, an entertainment, rather than an act of concentration.

Ironically, his essay exploded across the Internet in blogs, Tweets and Facebook postings and he has now expanded it into a book, The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time.

There are those who question his thesis. In his review of Ulin’s book in the New York Times ("Our Unlettered Landscape," Nov. 26, 2010), Christopher R. Beha argued that Ulin might be preaching to the choir. While he agreed with much of what Ulin wrote, “There are too many books, and this is part of the problem. David Ulin’s intentions are beyond reproach, but his book is another distraction.”
Ulin is not the first to muse on the art of reading. Here are a few other titles you might want to try:

The Case for Books: Past, Present and Future by Robert Darnton

You’ve GOT to Read This Book! 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life by Jack Canfield

Why We Read Fiction: Theory of Mind and the Novel by Lisa Zunshine

Housekeeping vs. Dirt by Nick Hornby

Every Book Its Reader: The Power of the Printed Word to Stir the Worldby Nicholas Basbanes

Jersey Fiction

2011-06-22T13:31:00.003-05:00

With the release of Smokin’ Seventeen yesterday Janet Evanovich continues the mystery series that has made a Trenton neighborhood called “The Burg” almost as famous as her heroine Stephanie Plum. Evanovich grew up in South River. N.J. and has kind words for her native state in a recent USA Today article, ("Janet Evanovich Sets Stephanie Plum Loose Again," June 21, 2011) . "Jersey's got everything — the Shore, bikinis, bulging muscles, the best and greasiest pizza," she said.

But Evanovich is not the first to find The Garden State a great backdrop for fiction. The library owns more than 300 novels that feature New Jerseyans. Here is just a sampling:

Caught by Harlan Coben

Goodbye Columbus by Philip Roth

Creepers by David Morrell

The Sportswriter by Richard Ford

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Author Lilian Jackson Braun Dies

2011-06-08T12:09:00.002-05:00

Lilian Jackson Braun, the bestselling author of “The Cat Who …” mystery series died Saturday in Landrum, S.C. She was 97. Braun retired from writing after publishing The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers in 2007.

She published her first book in the series The Cat Who Could Read Backwards in 1966, followed by The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern and The Cat Who Turned On and Off. She didn’t publish her next book until 1986 after she retired from a job with the Detroit Free Press. Her husband, Earl Bettinger, encouraged her to return to writing the series. She often referred to him in book dedications as “The Husband Who.”

The books follow Jim Qwilleran and his mystery solving Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum. She made her lead character a male, she once said, so readers would not think her books were autobiographical.

In all, the prolific writer published 29 mysteries and two collections of short stories. Translated into 16 languages, her books made the New York Times bestseller list consecutively for 20 years beginning in 1990.

Whether you are new to Braun’s tales or want to revisit her cozy whodunits, try:

The Cat Who Blew the Whistle

The Cat Who Saw Red

The Cat Who Went Up the Creek

The Cat Who Smelled a Rat

The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell

Do you need more background? check out The Cat Who Companion by Sharon Feaster.

Gone With the Wind Turns 75

2011-06-01T12:53:00.006-05:00

Margaret Mitchell’s classic novel celebrated its 75th anniversary recently, reports USA Today (Classic Novel Gone With the Wind Turns 75, May 31, 2011). To commemorate the event, the paper writes that the Atlanta History Center is exhibiting four of the novel’s original manuscript chapters. One of the four is the last, which Mitchell wrote first, and has Scarlett’s famous line: “After all, tomorrow is another day.”

According to the USA Today article, Mitchell actually wrote the novel twice. It was originally titled Manuscript of the Old South and the name of the main character: Pansy rather than Scarlett.

The novel still attracts a following, including Facebook pages, Twitter postings and even a group of fans who call themselves “Windies.”

So, if you are looking for a good summer read, take a second, third or fourth look at this Civil War saga. While you are at it, you may want to sample the novels and non-fiction this 1942 bestseller spawned.

Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley

The Wind Done Gone by Alice Randall

Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCaig

Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone With the Wind by Marianne Walker

Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind Letters 1936-1949 by Margaret Mitchell

Books and “The Oprah Effect”

2011-05-25T10:37:00.004-05:00

Oprah airs her last show today. Among her legacies is the readership she brought to more than 70 books during her long-running book club. According to USA Today ("How the 'Oprah Effect' Changed Publishing," May 24, 2011), one marketing professor estimates sales of “Oprah editions” totaled 55 million copies.

Here at the library, the holds list for Oprah’s books became so overwhelming in the mid-1990s that we and other libraries throughout the country arranged with Oprah’s staff and our vendors to order the monthly selection in advance, not even knowing the title.

While some didn’t embrace the emotional appeal of early selections, no one disputes the power of her recommendations. As an example, when she decided to move to the classics, Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina topped the USA Today’s bestseller list in 2004.

It is also a testament to her influence that you can still find 161 listings under the subject heading “Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club Selections” in our catalog.

Jacquelyn Mitchard’s The Deep End of the Ocean was Oprah’s first book club selection on Sept. 17, 1994. Here are a few of the others:

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Map of the World by Jane Hamilton

Paradise by Toni Morrison

Better Book Titles

2011-05-18T08:45:00.008-05:00

Many thanks to National Public Radio for introducing me to the website betterbooktitles.com that attempts to redesign book covers to better reflect their content. It’s a great place for irreverent book lovers. The Great Gatsby becomes Drink Responsibly. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is renamed My Dad Is Cooler Than Your Dad. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre becomes The Good Ones Are Always Taken.

According to the May 12 NPR piece by Linton Weeks, the website is the brainchild of Dan Wilbur, a 24-year-old stand-up comic and former classics major at Bard College. “You should write what you know,” he told Weeks tongue-in-cheek.
In explaining the reason for the site, Wilbur writes: “This blog is for people who do not have thousands of hours to read book reviews or blurbs or first sentences. I will . . . give you the meat of the story in one condensed image. Now you can read the greatest literary works of all time in mere seconds!”

Wilbur also solicits alternative titles from readers. How about Albee’s “Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf” as “The Worst Faculty Party of the Year”? Or, Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” as “Never Listen to Your Wife.”

The possibilities are endless. Enjoy.

Pain at the Pump

2011-05-11T16:24:00.000-05:00

According to Virginiagasprices.com, prices at the pump in Virginia this week range from $3.59 for regular at a station in Westlake near Smith Mountain Lake to $4.49 in Oakton. The second steep rise in gas prices in the past several years has again fueled debate over U.S. energy policy. If you are interested in the topic, here is some good reading:

Two Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability by Daniel Sperling

Life Without Oil: Why We Must Shift to a New Energy Future by Steve Hallett

Light’s Out: Ten Myths About (And Real Solutions) to America’s Energy Crisisby Spencer Abraham

Renewable Energy: Opposing Viewpoints by Jacqueline Langwith

Power Hungry: The Myths of Green Energy by Robert Bryce

New Books on Osama Bin Laden

2011-05-04T10:11:00.004-05:00

According to an Associated Press wire release reported in Salon, new books on the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden are already in the works.

In the meantime check out these books on the decade-long search for America’s Public Enemy No. 1 and the Navy SEALs that finally succeeded.

The Search for al-Qaeda: Its Leadership, Ideology and Future by Bruce Riedel

Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander’s Account of the Search for the World’s Most Wanted Man by Dalton Fury

Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? by Morgan Spurlock

SEALs: The U.S. Navy’s Elite Fighting Force by Mir Bahmanyar

One Perfect Op: An Insider’s Account of the Navy SEAL Special Warfare Teams by Dennis C. Chalker

“About Books” Debuts

2011-04-27T08:39:00.003-05:00

Our moderated discussion took a brief vacation and returns this week with a new name: “About Books.” As a public library we have always been “about books” and thought the new title better reflected the posts that appear here each week.

The definition of the book is in transition so I decided to research the origin of the term. Until recently a “book” described “a written or printed work of fiction or non-fiction usually on sheets of paper fastened or bound together within covers.”

According to The Online Etymology Dictionary, the term “book” comes from the Old English “bok,” which in term derives from a Germanic root for “beech,” perhaps originating from the beech wood tablets that runes were inscribed on. Latin and Sanskrit have words for writing that are based on tree names, as well – “birch” and “ash” respectively -- according the above etymology dictionary.

If you studied ancient civilizations in grammar school, you’ll recall that when writing systems were first invented, anything from stone, clay, metal sheets, as well as tree bark could be written on. This evolved into the papyrus scrolls used by the Egyptians, then to the wax and wooden tablets that began to appear in the 3rd and 4th centuries. This codex form was more efficient because it could be written on both sides. Ultimately the codex became the familiar book of today.

So, it shouldn’t seem strange that books can now take on a new – electronic – form and be read on all types of devices – e-readers, tablets, even smart phones.
It is just another step in the evolution of the written word.

If you are interested in the history of books and writing, here are a few books to browse:

The Case for Books: Past, Present and Future by Robert Darnton

Patience and Fortitude: A Roving Chronicle of Book People, Book Places, and Book Culture by Nicholas Basbanes

Library: An Unquiet History by Matthew Battles

A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel

Libraries and the E-Book Dilemma: Part II

2011-04-06T09:45:00.001-05:00

When HarperCollins announced last month that it would limit the number of times e-books sold to libraries could be checked out, some in the library profession were outraged (see March 9 post below). A piece this week on National Public Radio (“The Future of Books in the E-Book Age,” April 4, 2011) offers a more nuanced approach to the controversy.

"The HarperCollins limit isn't going to stick," argues Christopher Platt, director of collections and circulation in at the New York Public Library. "It's going to develop into something new. And Harper, to its credit, is engaged with libraries to see what would work."

Platt, according to the NPR piece, offers one solution – a subscription model. Since libraries use intermediary vendors to buy their books, he believes libraries and vendors could develop subscription packages with publishers.

“So I'd buy a title with 1,000 uses, and then it's up to us and our readers whether those 1,000 uses get used simultaneously in the first few days or whether they get drawn out over time," Platt says. "And then if they do get used quickly, we'll buy more."

Another more visionary scenario is offered by Eli Neiburger, the director for IT and production at the Ann Arbor District library. He thinks libraries might want to deal directly with authors or the holder of the rights to e-books.

"The goal of the library is to obtain the ability to distribute content to its public. And if we can do that easier and more cheaply with the rights holder or the artist themselves and they make more money on it, then it may be heretical — but the future usually is," Neiburger says in the NPR piece.

Whatever the future of e-books offered by libraries, Roberta Stevens, president of the American Library Association, told NPR she would like to see more publishing companies involved in the discussion, since some do not even offer their titles to libraries.

"When we look at the future then we have to really think very seriously about what is our role — and how can we actually serve the millions and millions of people who use our public libraries everyday if we can't even get access to titles," says Stevens.

After The Last Dance

2011-04-01T09:06:00.002-05:00

It’s down to the final four – Kentucky, Connecticut, Butler and our own downstate neighbor VCU. As March Madness spills into April for the final championship games, here’s some recommended reading on the sport. Writing in “The Daily Beast” Joshua Robinson offers his best picks for "Hoop Reads" once the Last Dance ends. A Sense of Where You Are: A Profile of Bill Bradley at Princeton by John McPhee and A Season on the Brink: A Year With Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers by John Feinstein top his list.

Here are some other books you might enjoy:

When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball by Seth Davis

Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four by John Feinstein

A Method to March Madness: An Insider’s Look at the Final Four by C.J. Jones

Cinderella: Inside the Rise of Mid-Major College Basketball by Michael Litos

The 1980s: They’re Back!

2011-03-23T10:08:00.006-05:00

A new book by journalist David Sirota, Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explains the World We Live in Now — Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Everything,
claims that the early decades of the 21st century mirror some of the less pleasant themes of a past era. Take Gordon Gekko’s famous mantra “Greed is good” in the 1987 film “Wall Street.” Not only did the movie spawn a sequel in 2010, but a real-life Gekko, Bernie Madoff, captured the headlines in 2009 when he was sentenced to 150 years in prison for operating what has been called the largest Ponzi scheme in the world.

In a USA Today review, writer Craig Wilson quotes Sirota: "Everything was big — really big. Big hair. Big defense budgets. Big tax cuts. Big shoulder pads. Big blockbuster movies. Big sports stars. The Big Gulp."

Recent cultural phenomena have their origins in the 80s, Sirota writes. “The Sopranos” is an updated “Goodfellas.” The reality show “American Idol” had its origins in “Star Search.” Apparently TNT is planning a remake of “Dallas.”

If you are curious about Sirota’s thesis, you can reserve a copy of Back to Our Future. Released on March 15, the library has it on order.

If you just want to enjoy fond memories of 80s icons such as Pac-man, the Rubik’s cube, “E.T.”, Ferris Bueller, MTV, Charles Barkley or the aviator jacket, here’s a few books to browse:

Eyewitness: The 1980s (eAudiobook)

Gen X TV: The Brady Bunch to Melrose Place by Rob Owen

Songs of the 80’s by Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation

Fashions of a Decade: The 1980s by Vicki Carnegy (reference: a few copies available for check-out)

Books for a Better Life

2011-03-16T10:08:00.003-05:00

Last week, the Southern New York Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced the winners of its 15th annual Books for a Better Life Award.
The award is “dedicated to those books that best attest to self improvement.”

Lest you think self-help books are a phenomenon of the last few decades, Scottish author Samuel Smiles is credited with publishing the first true personal development book, titled appropriately “Self-Help,” in 1859. Its opening sentence "Heaven helps those who help themselves," was a variation of Benjamin Franklin’s famous maxim “God helps those who help themselves.”

The pioneer of the modern self-improvement movement, Dale Carnegie, published How to Win Friends and Influence People in 1936. That book as well as others he penned went on to sell more than 10 million copies.

Seventy-five years later here is a sampling of the Books for a Better Life winners:

Brave Girl Eating by Harriet Brown (Childcare/Parenting)

Eaarth by Bill McKibben (Green)

Breaking Night by Liz Murray (Inspirational Memoir)

The New Good Life by John Robbins (Personal Finance)

Back to Life after a Heart Crisis by Marc Wallack, M.D. and Jamie Colby (Wellness)

Libraries and the E-Book Dilemma

2011-03-09T13:55:00.003-05:00

While e-books grow more popular, public libraries are concerned as publishers limit access to library copies of their books in electronic format, reports USA Today ("Libraries Launch Boycott in Battle Over E-Books," March 8, 2011).

The article discusses HarperCollins decision to require libraries to order a second copy of an e-book after it has been checked out 26 times. In an era when local governments are strapped for cash and cutting public library budgets, few librarians can afford this new model, writes USA Today reporter Bob Minzesheimer.

He quotes Marilyn Johnson, author of This Book Is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All, published last year by HarperCollins. “Of course the librarians went crazy," she says "Think about it: 'I'm the 27th patron; I see that the book is in the catalog, and then suddenly it's not?' "

In response to the controversy, HarperCollins posted this message on its Library Love Fest blog to explain the new policy:

"Selling e-books to libraries in perpetuity, if left unchanged, would undermine the emerging e-book eco-system, hurt the growing e-book channel, place additional pressure on physical bookstores, and in the end lead to a decrease in book sales and royalties paid to authors."

But, librarians disagree. “It's never pretty when a publisher decides they have to destroy books in order to save their business model," wrote one librarian on a Library Journal blog.

Two other major publishers, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan do not sell e-books to libraries at all. This means library customers can not check out a digital version of a Stephen King or Jonathan Frazen novel.

Here at the Fairfax County Public Library, our staff is still considering the workload and cost implications of the 26 check out limit, reports the head of our Collection and Acquisitions Department.

So, if you can’t find your favorite digital-format book in our catalog, this may be why. New format. New quandaries for libraries and their customers.

Read Across America Day

2011-03-02T14:43:00.004-05:00

Today is the 12th annual “Read Across America Day,” sponsored by the National Education Association. Celebrated each March 2 on the birthday of Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel), it is designed to encourage children and adults across the U.S. to read together.

Yahoo! News offers a list of children’s books, both old and new that are great to share with kids ("Notable Children's Books, Then and Now," Feb. 28, 2011). It also asked members of the Yahoo! Contributor Network to write about their family's reading traditions. Bed time reading was the favorite time for one Mom ("Read Across America: Mom, Son Share ‘Good Night’ Books," Feb. 28, 2011).

So, if you have a little one in your house here are few suggestions from Yahoo! News readers for books to share:

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears by Cynthia Rylant

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin

Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

The Napping House by Audrey Wood

For many more recommendations from library staff visit I Like Picture Books on the library’s website.

Books Into Movies

2011-02-24T09:33:00.005-05:00

As a film buff I look forward to the Academy Awards each year and I’ll definitely be settled in front of my TV for a couple of hours this Sunday. Also, as a book lover I’m always pleased when a good book has made it into film. This year four of the best picture nominees have books as their starting points. They include “True Grit” based on the Charles Portis novel of the same name; “The Social Network” based on The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich; “127 Hours” based on Between a Rock and a Hard Place by rock climber Aron Ralston; and “Winter’s Bone,” based on a novel Daniel Woodrell.

While my best picture favorite, “The King’s Speech,” is not based on a book, it’s screenwriter, David Seidler, has been nominated for best screenplay, a testament to the art of the well-written film.

Good books continue to make good movies. Here’s a few more that will be released or made into movies in 2011:

Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

One Day by David Nicholls

Best Books on George and Abe

2011-02-16T16:10:00.002-05:00

With the Presidents Day holiday fast approaching (called George Washington’s Day in Virginia), history buffs may want to read more about the two Chief Executives born in February – George Washington (Feb. 22, 1732) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12, 1809).

Here are a few recent books on our first president:

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

The Ascent of George Washington by John Ferling

The Unexpected George Washington by Harlow Unger

The Wall Street Journal recently offered a list of books on Lincoln in its “Five Best Books” column. Here is a sampling:

Honor’s Voice by Douglas Wilson

Lincoln’s Melancholy by Joshua Wolf Shenk

Herndon’s Lincoln by William Henry Herndon

eBook Bestseller Lists

2011-02-09T14:02:00.003-05:00

It had to happen sooner or later. The New York Times will post its first weekly eBook bestseller list online this Friday and publish it in the print edition on Sunday, according to Library Journal (“New York Times Ready to Release Its First eBook Best Sellers List,” Feb. 7, 2011). No. 1 on the fiction list is Tick Tock by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand tops the nonfiction list.

The Times staff said the lists will be "compiled from weekly data from publishers, chain bookstores, independent booksellers and online retailers, among other sources." They will also use a Web-based software that tracks and aggregates sales data for publishers to validate data, the Library Journal reports.

While the merging of old and new media bestseller lists may be a first for the New York Times, Overdrive, which distributes eBooks to public libraries, including the Fairfax County Public Library, has been publishing its "Most Downloaded Books From the Library" list for more than a year. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo tops its Feb. 1 fiction list and George W. Bush’s Decision Points is no. 1 on the nonfiction list.

If you’ve have never borrowed an eBook or other eMedia from the library, you can find all the information you need on our Web site or pick up instructions at your local branch.

Social Media Sites for Book Lovers

2011-02-02T14:15:00.002-05:00

Those of us who love to read know what a pleasure it is to find a good book and share it with relatives, friends, colleagues and others. I’ve just been browsing book blogs and several social media sites are mentioned frequently as favorite places to discuss reading favorites online. They include:

LibraryThing boasts 1.2 million members. LibraryThing helps you create a library-quality catalog of books (up to 200 are free): books you own, books you've read, books you'd like to read, books you've lent out ... whatever grouping you'd like.

Shelfari allows you to set up a virtual shelf of your favorite books, share with friends, see what the most popular books are and what are the top books in your favorite genre.

goodreads has such features as most books read this week, popular books published in January 2011, popular lists such as Best Books Ever and even quizzes such as Guess the First Sentence.

BookCrossing is a unique social networking site. In addition to a bookshelf where you can add books in any language, you can create a code and tag a physical book, place it anywhere and follow it as it is “captured” by other BookCrossing members. The San Francisco Chronicle referred to it as “a modern-day message in a bottle.”

Book Cameos

2011-01-26T09:59:00.007-05:00

Flavorpill, a guide to cultural events in NYC, L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and London, recently posted a list of classic books that made cameo appearances in films ("Meta-reading: Literature Cameos in Film," Jan. 22, 2011) on its Flavorwire blog.

Among them are Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar in “10 Things I Hate About You,” The Cat in the Hat in “Adams’ Family Values,” The Catcher in the Rye in “The Shining,” and Corelli’s Mandolin in “Notting Hill.” The last was self-promotion, according to Flavorwire. “Notting Hill” director Robert Mitchell planned to direct the film version of Corelli’s Mandolin next, but became ill and had to drop out.

Whether to develop plot, character or share an inside joke, it’s reassuring when directors put books in the hands of their characters.

Military Families

2011-01-19T11:07:00.006-05:00

The popularity of the show “Army Wives” on Lifetime prompted USA Today to interview several writers who explore the lives of military families in fiction and memoir ("Army Wives Share Their Military Lives in Books, on Television," Jan. 18, 2011). Among books featured are Army wife Siobhan Fallon’s You Know When the Men Have Gone, a collection of short stories, and Tanya Biank’s Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives, inspiration for the Lifetime series.

Fallon, whose husband has been deployed once to Afghanistan and twice to Iraq feels there are more books on military family life to come. “I've been in touch with more spouses recently who are writers," she said in the USA Today article. "They're writing the stories but just haven't finished them yet or haven't started getting them out there." Until then, here are a few accounts of military life on the homefront already in print:

I Love a Man in Uniform: A Memoir of Love, War and Other Battles
by Lily Burana

The Day After He Left for Iraq: A Story of Love, Family and Reunion
by Melissa Seligman

While They’re at War: The True Stories of American Families on the Homefront by Kristin Henderson

Small Wars by Sadie Jones

Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr (and other titles in her Virgin River romance series)

Best Contemporary Authors: Alice Munro

2011-01-12T13:05:00.005-05:00

The Huffington Post recently asked 14 major fiction writers to choose the best contemporary writer of fiction ("The Most Important Contemporary Fiction Writer," Jan. 10, 2011.) While writers such as Philip Roth, Saul Bellow and Martin Amis were among the selections, I was struck that one of my favorite writers, Alice Munro, was chosen by two major writers – Mona Simpson, author of Anywhere But Here and Allan Gurganus, who wrote The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All.

Munro, a Canadian, is best known as a short story writer, but her stories are exquisite mini-novels peopled with complex characters and intricate plots. “Writers everywhere study her stories to figure out just where and how they go so deep,” Simpson says. “This writer enjoys such a mercurial sense of time--she can compress a century to a page,” adds Gurganus.

If you have not tried Munro, you are in for a treat. She has been publishing her collections of stories for more than 40 years. Among my favorites:

Something I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You

Friend of My Youth

Open Secrets

Runaway

Too Much Happiness

Literary Lyrics

2011-01-05T17:09:00.009-05:00

The Huffington Post recently published a list of songs that pay homage to the literary life ("10 Songs About Books, Writers and All Things Literary,” Jan. 4, 2011). They span several decades and generations. See which ones you recognize. Here’s a sampling:

“Sylvia Path,” by Ryan Adams (2001)

“Paperback Writer” by The Beatles (1966)

“1984” by David Bowie (1974)

“Hemingway’s Whiskey” by Kenny Chesney (2010)

“Yertle the Turtle” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1985)

For more on literary or other lyrics, check out The Arts -- Web Sites by Subject -- Lyrics on the library’s Web site.

Hottest Books in the County

2010-12-29T13:35:00.020-05:00

Do you want to know what other library customers are reading? The following adult fiction titles recently had the longest waiting lists:

The Confession by John Grisham
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
Room by Emma Donoghue
Worth Dying For by Lee Child
Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
Eighteen Acres by Nicolle Wallace
I still Dream about You by Fannie Flagg

Here are the top ten adult nonfiction titles:

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
Decision Points by George W. Bush
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by David Sedaris
Life by Keith Richards with James Fox
I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections by Nora Ephron
Obama’s Wars by Bob Woodward
The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow
Autobiography of Mark Twain Volume 1 edited by Harriet Elinor Smith (et al)
Earth (the Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race by Jon Stewart (et al)

Sleepers of 2010

2010-12-22T10:38:00.008-05:00

If you are looking for last-minute holiday gifts for a reader, the Associated Press recently published a list of some books that quietly lured more readers than expected in 2010. ("Hits, Misses and Sleepers of 2010," Dec. 20, 2010). Among them are:

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin. A novel about a mysterious death in Mississippi.

The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them by Elif Batuman. A scholar’s comic survey of Russian literature.

The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood. A delightful children’s book that celebrates the daily moments of silence.

Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne. A readable history of the Commanches.

Book News of the Decade

2010-12-15T13:53:00.003-05:00

The Huffington Post is polling its readers on what they think are the best book news stories of the past ten years (Books Story of the Decade). Among those already posted are:

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. May have gotten kids reading again.

2. The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Good vampires kept teen girls and others enthralled.

3. eReaders. Around since the mid-1990s, but by 2010 on many holiday wish lists.

4. Fake memoirs. Among them James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces. Writes the Huffington Post, “Is this the decade in which truth was overtaken by ‘truthiness’”?

5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Published in 2003, it sold more copies than any other single volume in the decade.

Books to Give

2010-12-09T13:25:00.003-05:00

The Huffington Post recently polled its readers on Facebook and Twitter to compile Fifteen Books You're Giving for the Holidays. Here’s a few owned by the library if you want to sample a title or two.

Autobiography of Mark Twain by Mark Twain

Changing Shoes: Getting Older – Not Old – With Style, Humor and Graceby Tina Sloan

Strength in What Remains by Tracey Kidder

Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

By the way, you can now follow the library on Twitter @fairfaxlibrary to learn about events, activities, services and much more.

What Writers Read

2010-12-01T10:07:00.009-05:00

Pat Conroy, author of The Great Santini, The Prince of Tides and most recently South of Broad has just published My Reading Life. A collection of 15 essays, Conroy’s latest work chronicles his youthful reading from Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward Angel to Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind. ("Pat Conroy's 'My Reading Life' Opens a Door to Literature," USA Today, Nov. 29, 2010)

“Before I'd ever asked a girl out,” Conroy writes. “I had fallen in love with Anna Karenina, taken Isabel Archer (Portrait of a Lady) to high tea at the Grand Hotel in Rome, delivered passionate speeches to Juliet beneath her balcony, abandoned Dido (The Aeneid) in Carthage, made love to Lara in Zhivago's Russia, walked beside Lady Brett Ashley (The Sun Also Rises) in Paris, danced with Madame Bovary — I could form a sweet-smelling corps de ballet composed of the women I have loved in books."

As USA Today reporter Bob Minzesheimer writes, “Call this fiction you can use.”

To reserve a copy of My Reading Life in print, audio or large print format, visit the library’s catalog.

Late-Night Laughs

2010-11-23T10:37:00.002-05:00

I’m a great fan of Flashlight Worthy, a website devoted to “recommending books so good they’ll keep you up past your bedtime.” The site, run by book lovers Peter Steinberg and Eric Mueller, compiles lists of books that are the best in their category not just bestsellers. They have gathered more than 400 lists, some a bit quirky, such as the new "Laugh-Out-Loud Funny Books Written by Women." Whatever your gender, if you’re looking for some late-night humor, try these Flashlight Worthy picks:

Mama Makes Up Her Mind and Other Dangers of Southern Living
by Bailey White

Bitter Is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office by Jen Lancaster

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

IFeel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
by Nora Ephron

Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress: Tales of Growing Up Groovy and Clueless by Sarah Jane Gilman

Gifts for Kids

2010-11-19T20:04:00.003-05:00

If you are seeking gift ideas for young readers as you begin your holiday shopping, check out Publisher’s Weekly’s "Best Children's Books 2010." Among the recommended picture books are:

Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton

The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Phillip C. Stead

For older readers, consider these recommendations:

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee

Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin

Thanksgiving: Little Known Facts

2010-11-16T14:54:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving is still more than a week away, but as your plans are finalized, you may be interested in some little-known facts offered by the History Channel:

● It is not true that the pilgrims wore only black and white clothing or had buckles on their hats, garments and shoes. Buckles didn’t become fashionable until the late 17th century. Men also dressed in beige, green and brown and women also in red, green, blue, violet and gray.

● Virginia is one of a handful of states that produce two-thirds of the nation’s more than two billion turkeys. Others include the top-producing state, Minnesota, as well as North Carolina, Missouri and California.

● The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving dinner is 15 pounds.

● Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor and writer, who launched the campaign to have Thanksgiving declared a national holiday in the mid-19th century, also wrote the children’s nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

● Snoopy has appeared more times in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade than any other character.

On This Date: Ellis Island Closes

2010-11-12T09:59:00.002-05:00

On Nov, 12, 1954, Ellis Island, which had served as an entry point for more than 12 million immigrants, closed. According to history.com, it had opened in 1892 as the first federal immigration processing center. Prior to that time, individual states had been processing immigrants. Today, more than 40 percent of all U.S. citizens can trace their heritage through Ellis Island.

The center’s $160 million historic restoration began in 1984 and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum opened in 1990. About two million people visit each year.

For more on this historic site, see:

American Passage: The History of Ellis Island by Vincent Cannato

Ellis Island’s Famous Immigrants by Barry Moreno

The Family Tree Guide to Finding Your Ellis Island Ancestors by Sharon Carmak

Ellis Island Interviews: In Their Own Words by Peter Coan

Veterans Day Reading

2010-11-09T10:06:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, Veterans Day celebrates the end of World War I when Germany signed the Armistice at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. According to the PBS series “The Great War,” World War I was “the first manmade catastrophe of the 20th century.”

With November 11 fast approaching, you may want to check out some of these books on the war that changed European economics, politics, society and culture forever.

An Illustrated History of the First World War by John Keegan

The Greatest Day in History: How, on the Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month, the First World War Finally Came to an End
by Nicholas Best

World War I by Norman Stone

A World Undone: A Story of the Great War: 1914-1918 by G.J. Meyer

Fighting the Great War: A Global History by Michael S. Neiberg

Prehistoric Lives

2010-11-05T09:41:00.003-05:00

It’s hard for me to believe that Jean Auel is still chronicling the adventures of Ayla, the Cro-Magnon raised by Neanderthals, who she introduced in The Clan of the Cave Bear 30 years ago. According to a recent AP article, the sixth book in the Earth’s Children series, The Land of Painted Caves, is due out in March 2011 ("Author May Not Be Done With 'Earth's Children,'" Nov. 3, 2010). She published her first book in the series while in her 40s and now she is 72. I remember hearing Auel speak back in the 1980s when she told of trying to learn the various skills, such as tanning leather, which her Ice-Age characters would have to know.

For those of you who have read all the earlier adventures of Ayla but still enjoy the adventures of Bronze Age, pre-Columbian and other prehistoric peoples, here are some other books to try:

Beyond the Gap by Harry Turtledove

Woman of a Thousand Secrets by Barbara Wood

Tales of Adam by Daniel Quinn

Inez by Carlos Fuentes

Books You’re Excited to Finish

2010-11-02T08:11:00.016-05:00

HuffPost Books recently asked its readers “What are you going to finish reading this weekend that you’re really excited about?” While next weekend is still days off, its interesting to see what great books readers couldn’t wait to finish during their leisure hours. I, for one, am re-reading Peter Taylor’s A Summons to Memphis and Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone and enjoying both immensely.

Here are a few titles Huffington Post readers recommend:

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss

The Widower’s Tale by Julia Glass

The Reversal by Michael Connelly

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein

Mark Twain’s Autobiography: A Bestseller?

2010-10-29T08:14:00.005-05:00

USA Today reports that the recently published first volume of Mark Twain’s uncut autobiography has entered the paper’s bestseller list at no. 30, just 13 places below teen pop star Justin Bieber’s First Steps 2 Forever ( "Book Buzz: Mark Twain Gets the Last Say in 'Autobiography,'"Oct. 27, 2010).

Four years before his death in 1910, Twain dictated his 500,000-word autobiography to a stenographer, but demanded that the full text, which included passionate rants against U.S. imperialism and Wall Street, not be published until 100 years after his death.

According to an article last summer in The New York Times ("Dead for a Century, He Said What He Meant," July 10, 2010), versions of Twain’s autobiography were published in 1924, 1940 and 1959, but his original editor cut out entire sections which he thought might be offensive and respected the wishes of Twain’s daughter, Clara who wanted to protect Twain’s image. She died in 1962.

For more on this complex American icon, check out the new Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1 or try these other books:

Mark Twain: Man in White: The Grand Adventure of His Final Years
by Michael Shelden

Mark Twain: A Life by Ron Powers

The Singular Mark Twain: A Biography by Fred Kaplan

Inventing Mark Twain: The Lives of Samuel Langhorne Clemens
by Andrew Jay Hoffman

Image Courtesy U.S. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

Have You Signed up for Wowbrary Yet?

2010-10-26T10:32:00.005-05:00

The library recently introduced the weekly e-newsletter Wowbrary to let customers know what new materials have been ordered. Learn what’s coming in fiction, sports, children’s books, DVDs and more. The e-newsletter arrives every Saturday, and you can link right from the newsletter to the library’s catalog to place your hold. You can even sign up for RSS feeds if you want to know what materials are arriving in certain subject areas.

To sign up, visit Wowbrary. Type in your zip code, click on Go and follow the instructions. You will be amazed each week at the quality and variety of materials your library buys for you.

Remembering Belva Plain

2010-10-19T12:41:00.005-05:00

Popular author Belva Plain died last week at the age of 95 according to an obituary in The New York Times ("Belva Plain, Novelist of Jewish-American Life, Dies at 95," Oct. 17, 2010). Plain’s first novel, Evergreen, was published when the author was 60, although she had been writing and publishing short stories for a number of years prior to that. Considered a writer of “cozy” novels, the Times reported Plain once said “Even great geniuses like Dostoyevsky entertained.”
According to her publisher, Plain’s books sold close to 30 million copies and were translated into 22 languages.

If you would like to sample Plain’s work, here are a few novels to try:

Crossroads (2008)

Her Father’s House (2002)

Legacy of Silence (1998)

Secrecy (1997)

Promises (1996)

Blessings (1988)

Dewey’s Extra Lives

2010-10-15T10:22:00.007-05:00

The orange, tabby protagonist in librarian Vicki Myron’s Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat That Touched the World is no longer with us. Myron, however was overwhelmed with the response to her bestseller which sold more than one million copies and will soon be a film starring Meryl Streep. She also received thousands of cat stories from readers around the world. The author has gathered some of them in a new book, Dewey’s Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Cat That Inspired Millions.

In a recent interview in USATODAY.com ("Dewey, the Library Cat Lives On in 'Nine Lives,' Oct. 10, 2010), Myron talked about the difficulty in deciding what to include in the new book: “We had thousands of very good stories. We had a variety of happy ones, sad ones and unusual ones. It was a great mixture. Then there were some new stories about Dewey, too, so I included those.”

You can place a hold on Myron’s new book in the library’s catalog.

Here’s a few other books cat lovers may enjoy:

The Cat Who’ll Live Forever: The Final Adventures of Norton, the Perfect Cat and His Imperfect Human by Peter Gethers

The Cat Who Covered the World: The Adventures of Henrietta and Her Foreign Correspondent by Christopher S. Wren

Ninety-Nine Lives: Cats in History, Legend and Literature by Howard Loxton

Stalling for Time

2010-10-12T13:41:00.001-05:00

If you are regular reader of The Washington Post’s Outlook section, you may have noticed a review of Gary Noesner’s Stalling for Time in yesterday’s edition. Noesner, a retired FBI hostage negotiator, gave a library-sponsored presentation at the Fall for the Book Festival in Fairfax last month.

The Post writes that Noesner’s memoir “makes clear that this work is practically an art form. His accounts of dealing with right-wing militias, prison rioters, terrorist hijackers and even jealous ex-husbands show that negotiators must be masters of persuasion, pillars of unflappability and skilled improvisers who can make split-second decisions in perilous situations.”

Check out Library Director Sam Clay’s audio interview with Noesner at BookCast, the library’s series of chats with authors – local and beyond.

It’s Pigskin Season

2010-10-08T08:47:00.006-05:00

With last Sunday’s win over the Eagles, things may actually be looking up for the Redskins. Those who spend their Sundays devoted to the game might be interested in a new book by former quarterback Ron Jaworski, The Games That Changed the Game: The Evolution of the NFL in Seven Sundays ("Ron Jaworski Looks at the Evolution of Pro Football," AP, Oct. 4, 2010) . Jaworski focuses on seven coaches, including Sid Gillman, Don Coryell and Bill Walsh, whose innovations have raised the game to new heights.

You can place a hold on Jaworski’s book in our catalog and be among the first to get it when it arrives; if you want to check out some gridiron books already on our shelves, here are some suggestions:

NFL Unplugged: The Brutal, Brilliant World of Professional Football
by Anthony Gargano

More Than a Game: The Glorious Present and Uncertain Future of the NFL
by Brian Billick

Bloody Sundays: Inside the Dazzling, Rough-and-Tumble World of the NFL
by Michael Freeman

The GM: The Inside Story of a Dream Job and the Nightmares That Go With It by Tom Callahan

A War Without Death: A Year of Extreme Competition in Pro-Football’s NFC East by Mark Maske

Beyond Borders: Fiction of the Middle East

2010-10-01T15:29:00.007-05:00

At last weekend’s National Book Festival, I had the honor of hearing Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. He joins Egyptian writer, Naquib Mahfouz, who won the same prize almost two decades earlier, as a chronicler of a culture that is still unfamiliar to many Westerners. If you would like to further explore the Middle East in fiction, here’s a few online lists:

Literature of the Middle East

The Arab World

Want to sample some recent titles? Try the books below:

The Bathhouse by Farnoosh Moshiri

The Family Orchard by Naomi Eve

The Same Sea by Amos Oz

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk

Immigrants in Fiction

2010-09-28T14:55:00.005-05:00

At the National Book Festival on the Mall last Saturday, I had a chance to hear Korean-American author Chang-rae Lee, whose Native Speaker I had read years ago. That experience plus a recent article in USA Today Fiction Roundup: Immigrants Share Diverse Stories got me thinking about some of my favorite novels on the immigrant experience. Among them are:

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Bajerjee Divakaruni

Typical American by Gish Jen

Beyond Borders – Fiction of Mexico and Latin America

2010-09-24T13:32:00.006-05:00

The territory that stretches from south of the Rio Grande to the southern tip of South America has produced a grand tradition of literature. Among the region’s more well-known authors are Octavio Paz, Carlo Fuentes, Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jorge Borges.

Here’s a few of the region’s best you might want to try:

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes

The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa

Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig

Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

Beyond Borders – Fiction of Canada

2010-09-21T09:32:00.003-05:00

Having sampled some of the regional fiction within our borders, it’s time to take a leap across the 49th parallel to Canada. Some Canadian authors are recognizable in the lower 48, such as L.M. Montgomery who wrote the Anne of Green Gables series or Margaret Atwood, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale and other dystopian novels. Many good Canadian reads, however, don’t seem to drift south. Here are some lesser-known recommendations from flashlightworthybooks.com.

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston

Burden of Desire by Robert MacNeil

The Bird Artist by Howard Norman

The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart

A Boy of Good Breeding by Miriam Toews

Libraries in Odd Places

2010-09-17T12:31:00.001-05:00

An article this week in The New York Times got me thinking about unusual places for libraries ("At Schiphol, an Unlikely Sanctuary for Books," Sept. 16, 2010). Apparently, last summer, a 1,200-volume library opened at Schiphol Airport in The Netherlands. ProBlio, a non-profit agency that supports Dutch libraries, opened the library in Europe’s fifth busiest airport. The library specializes in books by Dutch authors or on subjects about The Netherlands in two dozen different languages.

A Google search revealed some other odd sites for libraries – a mule’s back in Venezuela ("Venezuela's Four-Legged Mobile Libraries," BBC News, Aug. 7, 2007) and a hobbit house in Pennsylvania. A Seattle resident tried to convince the Seattle Public Library to place a library branch in his apartment. (Library Shenanigans).

In Chile the Department of Libraries, Archives and Museums has placed libraries in metro stations and in parks. Spain has initiated a project to place libraries at beaches, pools, rivers and public parks – any place where people might wish to read. One Spanish town has placed a library in a city market.

There is, of course, The Library Hotel in New York, and I’ve also seen mention of libraries in boats.

Probably there are few places where readers gather that wouldn’t welcome a library.

What’s New? Wowbrary Is Here

2010-09-14T13:55:00.004-05:00

Would you like to be among the first to know what the library is adding to its collection? Go to the library's Web site and click on the Wowbrary icon. Then enter your zip code, select “Fairfax County Public Library,” and enter an e-mail address to sign up for Wowbrary ’s weekly e-newsletter.

Once you begin receiving Wowbrary, be among the first to place holds on incoming great reads in history, science or science fiction, mystery, romance, sports, cooking and more. The newsletter will arrive via e-mail every Saturday listing material the library has ordered.

Here’s a few new additions highlighted in a recent Wowbrary newsletter:

Troublemaker, Book 1: Alex Barnaby Series 3 by Janet Evanovich and Alex Evanovich

The Death of an Adversary by Hans Keilson

A Journey: My Political Life by Tony Blair

The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic by Robert L. O’Connell

Winning in Troubled Times: God’s Solutions for Victory Over Life’s Toughest Challenges by Creflo Dollar

Nine Books on 9/11

2010-09-10T10:11:00.004-05:00

Today’s Huffington Post features 9 Unforgettable Books on 9/11, a list compiled by Peter Steinberg, co-founder of the website flashlightworthybooks.com.

“As someone who adopted New York as my home just two years before 9/11 -- and who watched the first tower fall with his own eyes,” writes Steinberg, “I debated whether to create this book list. In the end though it deserves coverage like any other topic; ignoring it won't make it go away. I think that no matter your literal or emotional distance from Ground Zero on September 11, 2001 there's at least one book on this list for you.”

Here is a sampling from Steinberg’s list:

102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers by Kevin Flynn and Jim Dwyer

Firehouse by David Halberstam

American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center by William Langwiesche

The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by Ernie Colon, Sid Jacobson

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safron Foer

I would add one more for D.C. metro readers:

Firefight: Inside the Battle to Save the Pentagon on 9/11 by Patrick Creed

Fiction of Place – The Midwest

2010-09-07T14:06:00.003-05:00

These past few weeks, I’ve toured the country looking at regional fiction. Fiction from the middle of the country is perhaps a bit harder to characterize than novels from more unique regions. I had an opportunity to live in a Midwestern state for a decade and as an East Coast transplant, I did meet a different breed. The Midwest was settled by immigrants and there is a no-nonsense openness to their descendents that sneaks into the region’s fiction.

It is no accident that some of the best of early-20th-century realism, such as Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie or Sinclair Lewis’ Main Street came out of the Midwest. But there is also a softer side, a quiet dignity to the characters that populate much of Midwest fiction.

If you would like to sample some lesser-known works set in the Midwest, try these:

Grand Avenue by Joy Fielding

In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

Staggerford by Jon Hassler

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg

“Does It Scroll?”

2010-09-03T08:35:00.003-05:00

Wall Street Journal’s “Speakeasy” blog recently published an interview with children’s book illustrator Lane Smith about his new work It's a Book ("It's a Book" Author Lane Smith on Kids and Technology," Aug. 31, 2010) . Smith, who created the illustrations for such popular children’s books as Jon Scieszka’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales decided to tackle the younger generation’s skepticism about the printed book.

The book features a monkey and a jackass sitting across from each other. The monkey is trying to read and the jackass keeps interrupting. As the book opens the jackass asks. “What do you have there?” “It’s a book,” says the monkey. “Does it scroll?” the jackass continues. “No. It’s a book.” “Can it text? Can it tweet,” the jackass continues to ask. Ultimately he borrows the book and becomes so enthralled he refuses to return it. “But, I’ll charge it up when I’m done,” he tells the monkey.

“You wake up one day and the whole world has changed,” Lane told The Wall Street Journal. My feeling, probably because I don’t have kids, was that I wasn’t aware of the [tech] evolution and all of sudden, everywhere I looked, people were on their gadgets and I decided that the situation was ripe for a little humor between the two camps.”

Lane created a video trailer for the book which you can view at the link above. The library has ordered a number of copies of It’s a Book. Place your hold early. It is going to be popular!

Northwest Fiction

2010-08-31T08:53:00.003-05:00

It seems appropriate to move from the desert settings of Southwest fiction to the damp, tall forests of the Pacific Northwest or the peaks, plains and valleys of Montana and Idaho. Settled in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th, this area has a more recent literary tradition than the East Coast. Among well-known novels set in this part of the U.S. are Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Sometimes a Great Notion and David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedars.

Oregon’s Multnomah County Library has compiled a North by Northwest reading list that offers fiction written after 1960 by authors who live, or have lived in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska and who write about those regions.

Here are a few you might want to sample:

Mountain Time by Ivan Doig

Mommies Behaving Badly by Roz Bailey

The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula LeGuin

The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch

Fiction of Place – The Southwest

2010-08-27T17:12:00.003-05:00

Since I recently wrote about regional fiction of the South and New England, it seems appropriate to extend the topic. Over the years, I’ve made numerous trips to the Albuquerque and Santa Fe area in New Mexico. For a Connecticut Yankee like me, it was eye-opening. In addition to a clear, azure sky and red, red rock that stretches for miles, its culture and history have little in common with the East Coast. In the Southwest, three peoples – the Spanish, Mexicans and Native Americans – merged to create a place like no other in the U.S.

Fiction of the regional reflects this unique identity, and as with the South and New England there are some classics. Willa Cather’s Death Comes to the Archbishop, Zane Grey’s Riders of the Purple Sage, Edward Abbey’s The Monkey-Wrench Gang and the mysteries of Tony Hillerman come to mind.

Here’s a few more, you may want to try:

Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver

The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols

Redeye by Clyde Edgerton

House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday

Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko

New England Fiction

2010-08-24T14:58:00.009-05:00

Since my last post dealt with the pleasures of Southern writing, it seems appropriate to move north to another region – New England. As with the South, there are classics. Moby Dick by Herman Melville and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott come to mind. Also Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. They are near the top of The Boston Globe’s The 100 Essential New England Books.

Twentieth century fiction set in New England includes Peyton Place by Grace Metalious, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, The Wapshot Chronicle by John Cheever (although I prefer his short stories) and Couples by John Updike.

Others on the list, while less familiar, are worth trying. They include:

Empire Falls by Richard Russo

Little Children by Tom Perrotta

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Requiem, Mass. by John Dufresne

Southern Fiction

2010-08-20T10:26:00.006-05:00

Having lived in Virginia for more than two decades, I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I was born above the Mason-Dixon Line and grew up across the river in Maryland. Still – I’ve grown to appreciate Southern sensibilities – especially the region’s literature. Lists of great books of Southern fiction always include certain classics like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, the novels by William Faulkner and stories of Flannery O’Connor.

A newer generation of Southern writers includes Fannie Flagg, Pat Conroy, Lee Smith and Jill McCorkle, among many others. About a year ago, another Southern writer, Elizabeth Spencer, published her list of best books of southern fiction in the Wall Street Journal. Among them were:

On Agate Hill by Lee Smith

The Last Gentleman by Walker Percy

A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines

The Known World by Edward P. Jones

Sample and enjoy some of the South’s best!

Time to Laugh

2010-08-17T07:52:00.003-05:00

Thurber House has announced the finalists for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. The winner will be announced October 4 at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City where humorist James Thurber once lived. Among the contenders owned by the library are:

How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely

Mennonite in a Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

Past winners include:

Lamentations of the Father by Ian Frazier

I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle

My Lucky Star by Joe Keenan

If you need a good laugh as the summer winds down, try any of the above.

Books Into Film

2010-08-13T08:27:00.003-05:00

With the opening today of Eat, Pray, Love, another bestseller has become a movie. In fact, according to Bookreporter.com at least five more August movie releases are based on books. They are:

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Twelve by Nick McDonell

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World by Bryan Lee O’Malley

Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

The Nurse Matilda series by Christianna Brand (“Nancy McPhee Returns”)

Make sure you check out the book as well the film, and enjoy the waning days of summer.

When a Book Disappoints: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

2010-08-10T14:40:00.003-05:00

It’s been an international bestseller for several years, so when my library staff book discussion group decided to read The Elegance of the Hedgehog, I opened its pages with great anticipation. I had to put it down some 50 pages later – although I did read the last chapter to see if I had missed something.

Perhaps I’m not cosmopolitan enough or don’t understand the European obsession with “the intellectual” and class distinctions, but this novel by French author Muriel Burberry just couldn’t capture my attention. It is told in alternating chapters by Renee, a concierge in an upscale apartment building who feels she has to hide her intellectual interests from its occupants, and Paloma, a 12-year-old resident of the building who feels her life is meaningless. Both have great disdain for the class-conscious people in the building.

I agree with Caryn James, who reviewed The Elegance of the Hedgehog for the New York Times ("Thinking on the Sly," Sept. 5, 2008):

“Especially in the early chapters, Barberry, a professor of philosophy, seems too clever for her own good . . . Her brief chapters, more essays than fiction, so carefully build in explanations for the literary and philosophical references that she seems to be assessing what a mass audience needs. In just a few pages, Renée offers a mini-treatise on phenomenology.”

Actually, it was after the explanation of phenomenology that I felt I had to quit the book.

Renee and Paloma are interesting characters – both must hide aspects of themselves to survive – but that bond was not enough to sustain my interest. I understand the book improved when a third character Mr. Ozu moves into the building, but it was taking me too long to get to that point.

For it to be a bestseller, others must have found Burberry’s characters more engaging. Her first book Une Gourmandise was also popular, but isn’t available in English translation until next year.

Alas, that is the peril of being a book lover. Sometimes a novel disappoints.

Pat, Fairfax County Public Library

Horror Fiction – Part II

2010-08-06T11:55:00.003-05:00

Several weeks back, we listed some of the winners of the Horror Writers Association’s Bram Stoker Awards. The association’s website also has a fascinating essay, "What is Horror Fiction?". The essay quotes Douglas Winter, author of the anthology, Prime Evil, "Horror is not a genre, like the mystery or science fiction or the western. It is not a kind of fiction, meant to be confined to the ghetto of a special shelf in libraries or bookstores. Horror is an emotion."

If the only requirement for horror is that it elicits emotions of fear or dread, then books such as Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones could be classified in this (non) genre according to the essay’s author.

The essay laments the marketing niche invented by Stephen King in the 1980s, which tended to foster imitation rather than evolution, but sees a broader definition of horror fiction as it evolves in the 21st century with topics such as nanotechnology gone amok, etc.

“Just as our fears and terrors change with time, so too will the definition of horror, not just from age to age but from person to person,” the essay concludes.

More on The Art of Racing in the Rain

2010-08-03T14:27:00.002-05:00

Back in May and June we posted some thoughts on the library’s All Fairfax Reads selection, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Now that some of you may have read the novel, we’re curious what you think.

Here’s what some reviewers said:

“The Art of Racing in the Rain is getting all kinds of buzz, and it deserves every accolade. Readers will be moved by this warm hug of a story (and may find themselves looking searchingly into the eyes of their own canine companions). Enzo is a charming and witty narrator. His tale, while hilarious at times, is quite often heartbreaking, but it is ultimately uplifting and heartwarming. And I found the ending to be oh so very satisfying.” -- Bookreporter.com

“Stein’s Enzo is the perfect narrator, wickedly observant of the world around him, even if limited in his ability to interact with humans. Oh how he yearns for a proper tongue and vocal chords so he can string a sentence together. And opposable thumbs!” – The Seattle Times, May 9, 2008.

“Enzo ultimately teaches Denny and the reader that persistence and joie de vivre will see them through to the checkered flag. Stein creates a patient, wise and doggish narrator that is more than just fluff and collar.” – Library Journal, May 2008

Have You Listened Lately?

2010-07-27T17:11:00.002-05:00

We have recently posted podcast interviews between library director Sam Clay and Michelle Singletary, Gary Noesner, Todd Kashdan, Garth Stein and Pete Earley. Visit the BookCast page to listen to the interviews. BookCast is sponsored by Dominion Resources through the Fairfax Library Foundation.

Mary Mulrenan
Fairfax County Public Library

Horror Fiction

2010-07-23T10:52:00.005-05:00

They could be considered a subgenre of fantasy or sci-fi, but horror novels – as any aficionado knows – are a class onto themselves. Masters of the form – such as Stephen King – have passionate followings.

Each year the Horror Writers Association bestows the Bram Stoker Award – named for the author of Dracula – for Superior Achievement in various categories. Recent winners include:

Audrey’s Door by Sarah Langan

Duma Key by Stephen King

Creepers by David Morrell

The Hour Before Dark by Douglas Clegg

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Romantic Suspense

2010-07-16T20:14:00.006-05:00

As a subgenre of the romance novel, romantic suspense usually contains an element of mystery and intrigue. Unlike gothic romances which feature windswept moors and haunted houses, romantic suspense deals with more contemporary plots involving drug dealing, serial murders, smuggling or other complications.

Some of the more well-known authors of romantic suspense include Catherine Coulter, Linda Howard, Sandra Brown, Jayne Ann Krentz, Susan Andersen, Tami Hoag and Iris Johansen among others.

As with regency romance mentioned in last week’s posting, romantic suspense is also popular enough to merit a category in the Romance Writers of America annual RITA awards. Here are some past winners:

Take No Prisoners by Cindy Gerard

Ice Blue by Anne Stuart

Survivor in Death by J.D. Robb

I’m Watching You by Karen Rose

Three Fates by Nora Roberts

Regency Romance

2010-07-09T10:25:00.003-05:00

Anyone familiar with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility understands the regency romance novel. A popular subgenre of historical romance, regency novels usually involve a comedy of manners and are set in early 19th-century England between about 1810-1820. The novels occur normally during the reign of George IV and William IV after George III was declared insane by Parliament’s Regency Act. His son was then declared acting king.

Regency romance is so popular that the Romance Writers of America bestow annual RITA award each year in the category. Here are some past winners:

My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn

A Reputable Rake by Diane Gaston

Much Obliged by Jessica Benson

Romance Fiction

2010-07-02T13:34:00.007-05:00

Even more than science fiction, the subgenres of romance fiction are plentiful. One article lists 15 (Romance Subgenres by Lee Masterson) ranging from glitz or glamour romance to regency, pirate, western or other historical romance subgenres.

To be considered a romance, a novel must meet two criteria. First, it must have a love story as a central plot. Two people meet, struggle with their relationship and ultimately find love. Second, it must have a happy ending. The good guys win; the bad guys get their just rewards.

Contemporary romance is one of the most popular subgenres. Visitors to goodreads.com voted the novels below among the “best ever contemporary romance books.”

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

Paradise by Judith McNaught

Science Fiction – The Hugo Awards

2010-06-25T10:30:00.004-05:00

Each year since 1955, attendees at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) have honored the best in science fiction and fantasy with the Hugo Awards. Unlike most literary awards, which are chosen by select committees, the Hugo winners are determined by the vote of attendees to each year’s Worldcon. Here are the Hugo selections in the best novel category for the past five years. The 2010 award will be announced in September at Aussicon Four in Melbourne, Australia.

2009
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2008
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon

2007
Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge

2006
Spin by Robert Charles Wilson

2005
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Science Fiction – Part II

2010-06-18T12:52:00.005-05:00

Depending on the source, science fiction aficionados and academics divide the genre into a multitude of sub-categories. Dr. Agatha Tamorina, professor emerita of English at Northern Virginia Community College lists six: cyberpunk, hard science fiction, soft science fiction, space opera and young adult science fiction. Here’s an example of each:

Cyperpunk
River of Gods by Ian McDonald

Hard Science Fiction
Dune by Frank Herbert

Science Fantasy
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Soft Science Fiction
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

Space Opera
Startide Rising by David Brin

Young Adult Science Fiction
Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein

The Art of Racing in the Rain – Enzo’s Soul: Human or Canine?

2010-06-15T15:05:00.004-05:00

Enzo expresses his world view through a series of observations:

-“The visible becomes inevitable."

-"Understanding the truth is simple. Allowing oneself to experience it, is often terrifically difficult."

-"No race has ever been won in the first corner; many races have been lost there."

-“Hands are the windows to a man’s soul.”

His reflections seem almost human and that is what endears the reader to him. But a dog’s abstract musings may be more than wishful thinking. A 2008 National Geographic article ("Minds of Their Own," March 2008) reports on experiments that demonstrate the minds of animals may be more sophisticated than we thought.

“Certain skills are considered key signs of higher mental abilities: good memory, a grasp of grammar and symbols, self-awareness, understanding others' motives, imitating others, and being creative,” writes author Virginia Morell. “Bit by bit, in ingenious experiments, researchers have documented these talents in other species, gradually chipping away at what we thought made human beings distinctive while offering a glimpse of where our own abilities came from.”

For example, in 2001 a dog named Rico appeared on a German TV show. He knew the names of about 200 toys and could acquire the names of new ones easily.

That’s certainly not quite comparable to Enzo’s thoughts and emotions, but who knows? Maybe the canine hero of The Art of Racing in the Rain isn’t such a rare creature, after all.

Science Fiction

2010-06-11T20:50:00.004-05:00

More than 50 years ago, Isaac Asimov defined science fiction as "that branch of literature which is concerned with the impact of scientific advance upon human beings." For many that definition has evolved into a literature of consequences – of “what if.”

This art of “what if” characterizes sci-fi classics such as Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card; Dune by Frank Herbert; Foundation by Isaac Asimov; Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams; and 1984 by George Orwell. Those five books seem to top many “best science fiction of all time” lists.

For a good guide to more recent sci-fi, try the SF Site. It offers everything from reviews and author lists to "Best Read of the Year" and “10 Odd Sci-Fi Classics.”

Sci-fi has a habit of predicting reality, whether it is Jules Verne’s “rocket” in his 1865 novel, From the Earth to the Moon, or the totalitarian regime in 1984. For this reason it endures.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

2010-06-08T17:45:00.005-05:00

The Good News: The library owns 127 copies of The Art of Racing in the Rain (not including electronic formats, large print editions, etc.)

The Bad News: There are 207 customers on the wait list for it!

Of course, that’s also good news because it means a lot of people are reading the All Fairfax Reads book selection and learning about Enzo and his family.

Library Director Sam Clay interviewed author Garth Stein recently as part of BookCast, and the interview has been posted on the Library’s Web site.

Enjoy!

Mary Mulrenan
Fairfax County Public Library

Literary Fiction – Part II

2010-06-04T14:37:00.007-05:00

After my posting last week on literary fiction, a colleague asked me who decides if a piece of fiction should be classified as “literary.” While I mentioned that such designations can be subjective, her question did get me thinking. Who does decide what is literary fiction? The answer – if there is one – is probably as slippery as trying to define the genre.

Certainly publishers decide which of the books they produce will be marketed as commercial fiction or literary fiction. For example, Algonquin Books is a well-known publisher of just literary fiction. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, a book group favorite, is one of its better-known releases. Algonquin also published Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons, Ferris Beach by Jill McCorkle and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez. These were all popular among literary fiction fans. On the Random House Web site you can select a “literary fiction” category to browse the publisher’s titles, including books by E.L. Doctorow and Anne Tyler.

Literary agents, who market fiction to publishers, also decide what books they consider to be literary. One, Nathan Bransford, even described his requirements for literary fiction on his blog several years back. Another source for literary fiction titles is book stores, particularly independent book stores. IndieBound lists the weekly bestsellers reported by independent booksellers across the country. While the top 15 for this week include some genre fiction by Scott Turow, Elizabeth George and John Saul, the majority are in the literary category, including The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Imperfect Birds by Annie Lamott and Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes.

Finally, writers themselves determine literary fiction. Each year, the PEN -Faulkner Foundation, affiliated with the international writers’ organization PEN (Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists and Novelists) bestows its Pen-Faulkner Award in Fiction. It is the only literary award given to writers by other writers. Among well-known authors who have won it are Philip Roth (Everyman and The Human Stain), John Updike (The Early Stories, 1953-1975), Ann Patchett (Bel Canto), Michael Cunningham (The Hours) and David Guterson (Snow Falling on Cedars).

So – there is no one authority that bestows a “literary fiction” crown on a novel or other work of fiction. Those of us who enjoy the genre tend to stick to the defense: “we know it when we see it.”

George Clooney’s Eyes

2010-06-01T16:13:00.001-05:00

Writers call it point-of-view. While The Art of Racing in the Rain is not the first novel to be written from an animal’s perspective, Enzo is no ordinary canine narrator.

It is evident in the opening sentence: “Gestures are all that I have; sometimes they must be grand in nature.” He laments his long, loose tongue that denies him words. He envies monkeys their thumbs. But he is happy he has “George Clooney’s eyes.” In short, he regrets the human traits he lacks and is pleased with
those he shares with the human race.

It is this ability to straddle two species that makes Enzo’s point-of-view unique. If Mongolian myth can be believed, no one doubts Enzo will make a fine homo sapiens.

Literary Fiction

2010-05-28T09:19:00.001-05:00

Literary fiction sometimes gets a bad rap. It conjures up images of elite readers with The New York Times Book Review or the New York Review of Books spread across their laps. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. But a lot of literary fiction crosses over to the bestseller lists and a more general audience.

While definitions of literary fiction are fairly subjective, in general, the genre emphasizes writing style and the psychological depth of charaters. Plot sometimes is not as important. More mainstream commerical fiction, such as mysteries, sci-fi or romance tend to focus on plot and narrative.

Of course there are those that argue that literary fiction can be defined as “the books that teachers assign.” But, I would respond that “serious” fiction can be enjoyable and accessible. The books below demonstrate that:

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen