Do you enjoy a good suspense story? How about a suspense story in a one-of-a-kind historical setting? What about a good suspense story with amazingly well-researched historical facts about Chicago hosting the 1893 World's Fair with a serial killer preying on tourists, a delusional political hopeful stalking the city's officials, and a team of architectural geniuses thrown into the mix?

If you missed Erik Larson's 2004 bestseller The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, here’s your chance to get all of the above, plus more. Erik Larson meticulously researched the ambitious Daniel H. Burnham, Patrick Prendergast, and Henry H. Holmes and cast the three into this single volume.

Prepare yourself to learn about the first sparks of industrial unionization, the development of America's urban landscapes, artistic feats in action, and the shocking brutality humans can inflict upon each other. A must read.

Earl Scruggs, who forever changed the sound of country music with his inventive three-finger roll, died yesterday morning.

Scruggs turned to the banjo as a four-year-old toddler to console himself when his father died. He spent years perfecting his unique picking style until he debuted it at the Grand Ole Opry in 1945, performing with Bill Monroe. The response, both at the Opry and in countless living rooms where listeners were glued to their radios, was immediate, explosive, and sustained.

Guitarist Lester Flatt was also part of that history-shaping performance and he and Scruggs entered into a musical partnership that lasted until 1969. They stayed with Bill Monroe until 1948 at which time they formed the Foggy Mountain Boys. Their two signature songs, Foggy Mountain Breakdown and the theme song for the sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, The Ballad of Jed Clampett, are forever tied to Flatt and Scruggs who split in 1969 when their musical interests took them in different directions.

Mr. Scruggs, who was 88, died of natural causes at a Nashville, TN hospital.

Ann Arborites are no strangers to Sanjay Gupta. This home-grown (raised in Novi, MI) celebrity, received his undergraduate and MD degrees as well as his neurological surgery residency at UM. In his copious spare time, he sang with the Men’s Glee Club. He is the author of 2 non-fiction titles, Chasing Life (2007), and Cheating Death (2009). Currently, he is the CNN's chief medical correspondent.

His debut novel Monday Mornings (in audio) follows the lives of five surgeons at Chelsea (Michigan) General (fictitious), as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings.

Monday Mornings refers to the scheduled Morbidity and Mortality conference (known as M & M, considered the most secretive meeting in all of medicine) where surgeons answer for bad outcomes. The novel provides a unique look at the real method in which surgeons learn - through their mistakes as they strive for redemption.

"Hospitals are, after all, Gupta's turf. His insights into the craft of surgery combined with vivid storytelling make Monday Mornings a gripping and wonderful read right down to the wire." ~ Abraham Verghese

Shooting for Chelsea General, a TNT pilot based on Gupta's novel and starring Alfred Molina and Ving Rhames is already in progress.

A bit of Gupta trivia.... Gupta was named one of the Sexiest Men of 2003 by People magazine and in January 2011, he was named "One of the 10 Most Influential Celebrities" by Forbes magazine.

If this weekend's Dance For Mother Earth Pow Wow inspires you, check out the CD More Kid's Pow Wow Songs. The Library also has many other recordings of Native American music.

You can read a story about a young Jingle Dancer in this book by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Or, try the photo essay, Pow Wow by George Ancona, and Pow Wow: A Good Day to Dance by Jacqueline Dembar Greene.

Cloudwalker; Contemporary Native American Stories is a collection of six short stories about modern Native American children's lives and how they blend traditional Native culture with mainstream American culture. Children of Native America Today is a photo essay featuring 25 of the more than 500 native cultures of the U.S. as well as a section on urban Indians.

This year's Dance For Mother Earth is the 40th annual Pow Wow at U.M. Here's a link to articles and photographs from past Pow Wows.

YOU can access almost 1,000 digital music albums directly through our AADL.org catalog. Stream or download as much as you like, DRM free, on any device you choose. No waiting for a copy. No due dates. Hooray!

JAZZ
Andy Gabrys: Classic Jazz Guitar
Modern compositions, classic jazz guitar, an oak-tree thick acoustic bass courtesy of Dan Loomis, and the swinging colorful drumming of Brian Adler, make Constant a great album for any occasion. The album comes from a 5 year period during which Andy lived in New York city and played at various venues with up and coming jazz artists. Andy's original music on this album is both forward-thinking and respecting of the jazz tradition, and while his guitar sound might be compared to Kenny Burrell or George Benson, his playing and composing approach shows the subtle shading and rich harmonies of Romantic era composers.

CLASSICAL
Spark: Flautists with Finesse, Intelligence and Grooves
Spark began in 1992 as a small ensemble group in the Tokyo University Flute Circle. The members, all graduates from Tokyo University, now live in various cities throughout Japan, from Kyoto to Hakodate. J. S. Bach Laboratory, an all-Bach album, features original arrangements that seek to capture the spirit of Bach's original ideas. It was recorded in Hakodate City Art Hall and was first released in 2000 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Bach's death.

ELECTRONIC
Joey Fehrenbach: Gorgeously Sculpted, Uber-Melodic Downtempo
The album Mellowdrama captures what it sounds like to fall in love, to remember old friends, to feel lonely, and to feel at peace and safe indoors on a rainy day. Electronic dance music artist Joey Fehrenbach uses intricate melody and atmosphere to create sonic backgrounds that capture the essence of the human soul. This is the one thought-provoking laid back electronic album not to miss.

FOLK / WORLD
Steve Eulberg: Mountain and Hammered Dulcimer
Inspired by a Jean Ritchie poem of the same title, I Celebrate Life! is the title track of this collection of original songs and tunes written for Mountain and Hammered Dulcimer by award-winning singer-songwriter and musician, Steve Eulberg. Known nationwide as the host of the annual Colorado Dulcimer Festival, Steve Eulberg weaves old-timey with blues and contemporary tunes adding original songs into a tapestry of "smile-inducing, toe-tapping folkgrass" that captivates and energizes audiences of all ages.

POP / ROCK
Tiny Little Blackouts: Dreamy, Slightly Mournful Indie Pop
Jangly relaxed alt rock, perfect for the grey days where you don't *want* to feel up and happy, but instead settle into self-indulgent melancholia. This San Francisco based band has been described as "Elliott Smith meets the Cocteau Twins". On this debut album, Idea of Alice, expect a shoegazer meets dream pop sound -- female vocals, lazy, bluesy fuzzed out guitars, a warm deep bass line. Bands like Belly, Curve, The Gathering and The Cardigans come to mind.

Bill HarleyBack by popular demand, the stellar Bill Harley returns for a library sponsored event at The Ark this Sunday, March 11 at 2:00 pm. We are hosting this grammy award winning musician and storyteller for a free family show at The Ark for ages five and up. Now is your chance to catch one of the best, and if you have enjoyed Bill in the past, we know we will see you there again! When Bill came through town last year I invited all my friends to the grown-up evening performance and they loved it so much they are all returning this Sunday at 7:30 pm.

Davy Jones, one of the most beloved members of the popular 60s pop group, The Monkees, died yesterday.

The four members of the Monkees, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, enjoyed a few years of intense fame, adoration, and million-record sales. Three of their hottest #1 hits -- Daydream Believer, I'm a Believer, and Last Train to Clarksville -- are available on their Greatest Hits album.

In 1966, their eponymous TV show ran on NBC for two season and garnered two Emmys in 1967.

Mr. Jones appeared on several other TV shows, on Broadway, and on the silver screen.

Mr. Jones, who was just 66, died of a heart attack.

Derrick Jensen, the arch-environmental-activist, is coming to the area in March to present a keynote lecture for the Porter Chair Speaker Series at Eastern Michigan University. Derrick speaks and writes an urgent message about how the dominant culture of excess is killing the planet. But what do you DO about it? His version of an answer to my question is pretty radical and on March 22nd, in Pease Auditorium, at 7:30pm, you can hear it in his own words. He manages over and over again to score the point: if we don’t change our direction, we will end up where we are headed.

We own many of Derrick’s books and you can read his regular column in Orion magazine, also in our collection. This documentary, End-Civ: Resist or Die, is based on one of his books and spells out some of his persistent themes in changing directions. For more information about his visit, which includes a reception and book signing and a Friday workshop, look here.

Diamond Jubilee: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee
February 6 marked the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's 60 year reign starting in 1952. To read about the Diamond Jubilee celebrations click here. Recent biographies written about the Queen include: Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by noted biographer Sally Bedell Smith. Smith follows the young princess as a student to a love-struck teen (after meeting Philip) through her current reign. This is a well-written and engrossing account of a Queen that successfully balances royal tradition and modernity. Another title, The Real Elizabeth : an intimate portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, takes on the subject of the role of the monarchy itself specifically under her auspices over the past 60 years and how it has changed over time. And do not forget, her royal consort, Prince Philip, who has served by her side (and one step behind her). There is a recent biography, Prince Philip : the turbulent early life of the man who married Queen Elizabeth II that focuses on his turbulent childhood as his family is exiled from Greece (where he was born) to his mother’s schizophrenia and his father leaving him at an early age in order to live with his mistress. His charm and good looks eventually win him the hand of the-then Princess Elizabeth for whom he renounces his titles, religion and even family. A storybook romance indeed! To read more about their life together, read Philip and Elizabeth : portrait of a royal marriage. Movies about her include Helen Mirren’s outstanding portrayal in the Queen and the British TV show, Queen : a dramatic portrait of one of the world's most powerful women, as well as several documentaries including Windsors, a royal family.

The Nebula Awards are one of several prestigious prizes for writing granted within the scifi/fantasy genre. They are nominated by members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. and this is the 47th year in doing so. Award winners will be announced on May 19th. Categories of awards include best adult novel as well as one for best young adult scifi/fantasy novel.

The nominees for best adult novel are:
Among Others, Jo Walton
Embassytown, China Miéville
Firebird, Jack McDevitt
God’s War, Kameron Hurley
Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti, Genevieve Valentine
Kingdom of Gods, N.K. Jemisin

The nominees for best young adult novel are:
Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor
Chime, Franny Billingsley
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor
Everybody Sees the Ants, A.S. King
Boy at the End of the World, Greg van Eekhout
The Freedom Maze, Delia Sherman
Girl of Fire and Thorns, Rae Carson
Ultraviolet, R.J. Anderson