In honor of Mother's Day, following are two books and one film that tell the stories of three remarkable mothers:

From Harvey River: A Memoir of My Mother and Her Island by Lorna Goodison describes this local poet's mother, Doris who grew up in a privileged family in Jamaica but then married a chauffeur, moved to urban Kingston and raised nine children.

A Remarkable Mother by former President Jimmy Carter is his loving tribute to Lillian Carter, a nurse serving troops in World War I and in her later years a Peace Corps volunteer in India.

My Flesh and Blood is a documentary about Susan Tom, a single mother, who adopted eleven special needs children.

The History of Lucy’s Love Life in Ten and a Half Chapters is fun, fluffy and fantastical.

29 year-old commitment-phobic Lucy is staring at the prospect of a perfect life with dishy and nice Anthony (with whom she had 400 plus one-night stands) and chucks it all, wondering if there’s something better in the horizon.

Sacked from her pointless job and bored, an errand time machine sends Lucy on a dating frenzy with bad boy Lord Byron, Leonardo Da Vinci, Ovid and Casanova (a sweet guy, really). It’s a thrill ride but there’s also a lesson to be learned. The question is… Is Lucy ready for it?

This British chick lit./fantasy/romantic comedy is the first to be published in the United State by Deborah Wright, a graduated of Oxford University with three best-selling novels in the U.K.

The Magic of Recluse is the opening story in The Saga of Recluce by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. The series is unusual in several ways. First of all, the series is not written chronologically. The book first actually occurs towards the end of the series. As the series progresses, characters in the stories will be in later books referred to as heros and legendary figures.

The books also feature an in-depth system of magic in the series. Instead of wizards just casting a spell, they must have the ability to control the natural forces of order or chaos inherent in all matter.

The author recommends reading the series in the order written, not chronologically. The second book in the series is The Towers of Sunset.

Enjoy.

Are you a homeowner and worried about making your mortgage payments? Need some advice? Come to a free seminar on foreclosure prevention on May 22 at 6pm at the New Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Ann Arbor or on June 5 at 6pm at the New Testament Baptist Church in Ypsilanti. Space is limited so reserve your place now by calling 998-9341.

Washtenaw County Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled and several partners present Visions 2008, a important event for anyone interested in the latest technology and services for people who are blind and visually impaired. It takes place on Wed., May 14, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Washtenaw Community College, Morris Lawrence Bldg. Over fifty vendors and organizations will be on hand to demonstrate their latest devices and services that can help with vision issues. At 11:00 am Dr. David N. Zacks from the UM Kellogg Eye Center will speak on "What's New in Eye Therapy?" in Towsley Auditorium. Sighted assistants will be on hand to serve as guides, and low priced food prepared by the Michigan Commission for the Blind Business Enterprise Program will be available.

Adam Mansbach's third novel, The End of the Jews shows the writer's growth in his ability to expand his universe, i.e., from hip-hop culture which still plays a part in this story, into other expressions of the American experience. His last novel, Angry Black White Boy brilliantly conveyed both the excitement and anger of that sub-culture.

Tristan Brodsky, one of the featured characters, is the son of Jewish immigrants and a writer who is influenced by jazz and African-American culture. His grandson, Tris, is a suburban teenager who loves hip-hop and is also a writer although not as successful. The third main character is Nina, a young and beautiful Czech photographer who has been hired by a black jazz combo to travel the U.S. with them as they perform. Mansbach adeptly moves back and forth in time to tell their stories and to articulate, often with great touches of humor, the odd dislocation of people caught at different moments in the soupy mix caused by the diaspora.

True Crime meets autobiography in The Butterfly Garden, a striking and capturing book about a boy's experiences living as the son of one of America's Most Wanted. Chip St. Clair was always told not to open the trunk in his father's bed room, but one day he did and his life was never the same again. What he found in the trunk was false documents as well as possible trophies from children his father had murdered in the past... several baby teeth, phony birth certificates, forged credit card and student loan paperwork and family photographs with cryptic messages written on the back. Chip's entire life--his name, even his date of birth--had been a lie, and the man he called 'Dad' was an impostor, an escaped child killer who had been on the run for over two decades. The stunning revelation would send one of America's Most Wanted to justice and another on a quest for his true identity.

"With chilling detail and a riveting, lyrical narrative, The Butterfly Garden reveals St. Clair's struggle to piece together his haunted past before it consumes him and shares his inspiring metamorphosis from victim to victim's advocate. The Butterfly Garden is a timeless triumph, a reminder that hope can be the most powerful of all emotions, freeing us to soar despite the past and the odds against us."

If you loved the Death Note manga, you won’t want to miss the fabulous anime adaptation now available on dvd at the library. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, it’s the story of a bored high school student, Light Yagami, who takes justice into his own hands when he finds a notebook which gives him the power to kill simply by writing down someone’s name. But when criminals begin to die of unexplained causes, the authorities send the legendary and eccentric detective L to track down the killer. The cat-and-mouse chase between Light and L is one for the ages. Volumes 1, 2, and 3 are in, and volume 4 is on order. Add your name to the hold list today! For older teens and adults.

Do you have so many digital photos saved on your Mac’s hard drive that you can’t find the right one when you need it? Explore the many ways to organize your collection by taking our next iPhoto class in the Downtown Library’s computer lab. Registration is required.

iPhoto is just one of the growing number of computer classes available for Mac based software. Check our computer class listing or our computer class brochure for dates and times.

Everyone is invited to hear four local citizens who walk, bike, carpool or take the bus to work explain why their commute is important to them. Audience members will also have a chance to talk about their favorite way of commuting. Click here for more information on this program, which takes place Thursday, May 8, 2008, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm in the Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room. It's a great opportunity to get to know many people who want to make Ann Arbor a better place and live healthier by burning less fossil fuel. Cosponsored by getDowntown and the Ann Arbor Area Chamer of Commerce.

What do a fire in Manhattan, P.T. Barnum, Irish gangsters, and an Aztec deity have in common? Nothing unless your reading A Scattering of Jades by Alexander C. Irvine. In his first novel, Irvine combines historical facts with elements of fantasy to make this a great book.

You think large print is for when you’re old?
Not when you talk to the folks we’ve polled
Large print type’s great for reading outside
It lowers the glare so you’re not glass-eyed

For readers who don’t like to read too much
You can read large type while you do thus and such
16 point font if you have to ask
Is ideal for those who multi-task

Girl detectives have come a long way since Nancy Drew first hopped into her roadster and solved The Secret of the Old Clock. Learn the history of the Nancy Drew series in Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak, or watch a modern-day girl detective in the tv show Veronica Mars. Or read Kelly Link’s amazing short story “The Girl Detective” from her collection Stranger Things Happen. (Don’t want to wait for the library’s copy to be returned? Download the book for free under a Creative Commons license, or listen to this free audiobook version of the story.) And tell us about your favorite girl detectives in the comments.

Marvin Bell is now retired from teaching poetry at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, but this wordsmith isn't slowing down. His nineteenth book, Mars Being Red, is a gutsy meditation on politics and aging. In "I Didn't Sleep," we read "I thought maybe I could sleep after the war / or catch a nap after the next election." And from "Assisted Living Quarters," Bell observes "All / the mothers have seventy-year-old babies." These are difficult themes for poems without coming across preachy or trite. Bell succeeds with measured doses of humor and grace, surprise and anger, and a fearless spirit.

Former Ann Arborite Charles Baxter describes Los Angeles in intriguing detail in his latest novel The Soul Thief, and at the end, he expresses gratitude to another former Ann Arborite, Francesca Delbanco, and to Arden Reed “for certain details about Los Angeles flora and fauna . . . “ In my book, it was such details that lifted this novel from well worth reading, to truly a gift.