Blog Post
Kid Bits - FolkLore
by ryanikoglu
Every fall Youth Services runs tours DownTown for 2nd grades called "Second Grade RoundUp". A Folk Tale leads every tour, and the "J 398.2 Collection" (FolkLore and FairyTale Collection) is discovered. Folklore crosses age levels, displays cultural roots, and passes on values. To expand yourself, try FairyTales by the Brothers Grimm to hear some Grimm Brothers tales read aloud. Visit LibrarySparks to explore ways to help kids think critically about folktales. Or simply enjoy worldly favorites from the Library Folklore Collections, like Head, Body, Legs from Liberia, Something From Nothing from Russia, New Patches For Old from Turkey, Elves And The Shoemaker from Europe, or Kumak's House from Alaska.
Blog Post
New Fiction Titles on the New York Times Best Sellers List (12/10/06)
by Mazie
The reviews for Pynchon's latest book have been surprisingly mixed. Taking 9 years to write and coming in at over 1000 pages, the novel may end up as a door stopper for some disgruntled readers.
For something entirely different and more entertaining, I recommend the latest mystery by Hillerman. I have never been dissatisfied with any of his magical stories set in the Navajo nation, featuring Leaphorn and/or Chee.
At #4 is The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman: "Lt. Joe Leaphorn, a tribal detective, tracks down an antique Navajo rug with a complicated history."
At #13 is Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon: "From the time of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 to World War 1, a sprawling cast of characters engage in Pychonesque high jinks."
Blog Post
Ever wondered . . .
by K.C.
how a jet's black box works, how a skin graft is grown, or how a pet translator interprets the mood of your dog or cat? Take a look at Cool Stuff and How it Works. This full color picture book uses advanced imaging technology such as X rays, scanning electron micrographs, and infrared thermograms, along with traditional graphics, to reveal the workings of all this and more. A feast for the eye and brain!
Blog Post
Master of Souls
by Robb
I enjoy traveling by book both in time and place. I quite enjoyed "Master of Souls" a Mystery of Ancient Ireland book 15 of 16 by Peter Tremayne pseudonym for Peter Berresford Ellis a well-respected authority on the ancient celts. It features Sister Fidelma & is set in 7th century Ireland with a well thought out plot. I could see where some of the red herrings were leading me but was pleasantly surprised with the twist at the end.
More information on the series appears at the website The International Sister Fidelma Society.
Another excellent mystery series I recommend is the "Brother Cadfael" series of 20 books set in the 12th century in Shrewsbury, England & written by the late Ellis Peters pseudonym for Edith Pargeter.
Blog Post
December New and Noteworthy
by muffy
The Book of Lost Things* by John Connolly.
An enchanting novel about a 12-year-old English boy, David, who is thrust into a realm where eternal stories and fairy tales assume an often gruesome reality and learns lessons of bravery and loyalty. Never truly frightening and consistently entertaining.
Billionaires Prefer Blondes* by Suzanne Enoch
Witty romance with sizzling chemistry between an art thief and her billionaire beau.
A Safe Place for Dying* by Jack Fredrickson. (FFF)
Smartly plotted, briskly paced and laced with humor mark this impressive debut of “Dek” Elstrom, an embattled intrepid Chicago PI who became the prime suspect in a series of explosions.
Mad Dogs* by James Grady.
5 CIA operatives, hidden away in a lunatic asylum in Maine, embark on a week-long run for freedom and revenge. “Whipsaw bouts of action, dark humor and poignant glimpses into the characters' broken lives” makes for a page-turner.
Dead and Buried* by Quintin Jardine.
Marvelous British procedural - Edinburgh detective Skinner is tapped by the head of MI5 to investigate security breaches while juggling several other crimes and crises close to home.
The Blonde* by Duane Swierczynski.
Adrenaline-charged thrill ride through the streets of Philadelphia for Jack Eisley and the blonde in question who just infected him with deadly and fast-replicating nanomachines. Fast and funny.
* = Starred Reviews
Blog Post
South Africa Remembered
by RiponGood
Explore social issues in the mid-20th century of South Africa in , Cry, The Beloved Country, by Alan Paton. Paton, a native white of South Africa explores the power of ideas in this story of a old Zulu parson as he searches for his son. The murder of a white man, devoted to helping the native South African, results in far reaching changes in both a white and a black family, along with a rural native tribe.
Blog Post
Discovery Launch Tonight!
by anned
STS-116 is scheduled to launch tonight, Thursday, December 7th, at 9:36pm ET. Their mission is to rewire the space station. Since 1998 it has been running on a temporary electrical system. Two new solar panels were successfully installed in September, so everything should be set to switch to the permanent system.
You can watch the launch live at NASA’s website.
Among the crew will be Sweden's first astronaut, Christer Fuglesang.
Blog Post
Pride of Baghdad
by anned
Writer Brain K. Vaughan’s latest graphic novel, Pride of Baghdad, follows the story of four lions that escape from the Baghdad Zoo during a U.S. bombing raid in 2003. The story was inspired by actual events. (You can read the BBC story here.) Vaughan explores the idea of freedom and what it means to the individual. His characters come from different backgrounds and generations, each representing a different point of view on their situation. Vaughan’s method of telling this story, through the use of anthropomorphism, works well to get his feelings on war across without sounding too preachy. The illustrations and color by Niko Henrichon add to the story by giving the reader a good feel for the locations.
There are some very graphic depictions of violence, so this book is not for children.
Blog Post
Burning Ring of Fire
by RiponGood
Warm up on a cold winter night by reading or listening to this great book on Johnny Cash, The Man Called Cash. Follow the steps of Johnny Cash from his humble beginnings in Arkansas as a sharecropper's son to his death in Nashville. The Book on CD is read by Rex Linn, who offers his Southern voice to give the story a very nostalgic feel.
Blog Post
Local Historian Grace Shackman to Speak
by ulrich
Grace Shackman, well-known Ann Arbor historian and author, will discuss her latest book Ann Arbor Observed at the library's 'Sunday Edition' program on Sunday, December 10 at 2:00 p.m. at the Pittsfield Branch. Ms. Shackman's book consists of a selection of articles she has contributed over the years to the 'Ann Arbor Observer's' 'Then and Now' feature. She will read from the book, speak about her research methods and local history sources and resources. The book, which makes a fine holiday gift, will be for sale at the event and a book signing will follow. It's a great opportunity to meet a delightful local author and learn about some intriguing chapters in Ann Arbor's history.