Ages 18+.
Blog Post
New Fiction on the New York Times Best Sellers List (12/16/07)
by Mazie
As we approach the longest night of the year, the latest title on the List really jumps out at you. The only new entry is The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz. It is another venture into the heart of evil by a master of the genre.
I just finished another "dark" novel, the latest by the incredibly gifted and prolific Joyce Carol Oates. In the same literary territory as We Were the Mulvaneys and The Falls, The Gravedigger's Daughter is worth your time and patience.
For the whole List, click here.
Blog Post
The Last Man Alive
by RiponGood
I Am Legend starring Will Smith just opened. It's based on a story of the same name by Richard Matheson. In both the movie and story, Robert Neville survives a deadly disease that has wiped out most of mankind. Most, if not all of those remaining have been turned into Darkseekers, vampire-like creatures. Neville spends his time trying to find a cure for the disease as well as trying to survive in the hostile, post-apocalyptic world. This isn't the first time I Am Legend has been made into a movie. You can see Charlton Heston battles violent, light-sensitive albino mutants as he tries to find a cure for humanity in The Omega Man.
Actually, the story reminds me a lot of a book I'm reading by Max Brooks, World War Z. It's the oral history of those who survived a terrible virus that turned people into mindless zombies! The book is well written and is very thought provoking.
Blog Post
Forgiveness and Reconnection
by Sis
If you enjoyed and was touched by The Pact by young doctors Sampson Davis, George Davis and Rameck Hunt, The Bond should be the perfect continuation of their story. This book looks at the hard lessons learned by the three men and how to stem the tide of fatherlessness in our communities. By making their pact in high school to follow their dream to become doctors together, the young men are using their successful careers as physicians to help others with The Three Doctors Foundation. The Foundation attempts to inspire and create opportunities for inner city communities through education, mentoring, and health awareness.
Blog Post
Pratchett diagnosis stuns fans
by sernabad
Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld fantasy series, announced that he has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.
Pratchett said he will continue to write Discworld novels (to date there are more than 40). In a statement released on the website of Paul Kidby, Discworld's illustrator, Pratchett set a tone of acceptance and optimism: "Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there's time for at least a few more books yet :o)."
Pratchett is 59.
Blog Post
Terry Pratchett: "I'm not dead"
by N3RD
Yesterday Terry Pratchett released a press notice to his fans and world at large letting us know that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's. It's not the first time Terry's health has been in the news this year, earlier this year he thought he had suffered a mild "stroke". The "stroke" turns out to have been a symptom of early onset Alzheimer's.
Blog Post
A MEMORY OF LIGHT, the final novel in the Wheel of Time
by N3RD
Since the death of Robert Jordan (Wheel of time author) in September fans have been left wondering if the final book of the wheel of time series would remain unfinished and unpublished.
Late last week Tor the publisher of the wheel of light gave a press release that that have signed a deal to have Brandon Sanderson finish the final book "A MEMORY OF LIGHT" with scheduled delivery of the manuscript in December 2008 and a planned publication date of Fall 2009.
Brandon Sanderson is best known for his Alcatraz books Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians being the first book.
Blog Post
A great teen read
by Maxine
Deb Caletti, author of several nationally recognized books for teens including Honey, Baby, Sweetheart which was a runner-up for the 2004 National Book Award has written another winner, The Nature of Jade. Jade DeLuna has heard that jade is one of the strongest materials on earth but has trouble believing it about herself. Suffering from panic attacks, Jade finds comfort and rewards in helping out with the elephants at the Seattle Zoo. It's there that she meets Sebastian, a single dad with a big heart and a secret. Characters, including the elephants, are well drawn. I rooted for Jade and Sebastian all the way through. The grandmother and therapist are gems too.
Blog Post
New Fiction on the New York Times Best Sellers List (12/9/07)
by Mazie
There are no new entries on this week's List. Maybe the Grinch has been at work or everyone is out shopping for holiday books and buying from the 100 Notable Books of 2007 list.
From this Holiday List, I highly recommend the latest collection by William Trevor. He is a master of the short story form and Cheating at Canasta showcases him at the height of his powers. Many compare him to Chekhov but this elderly Irish writer stands alone in modern fiction.
Blog Post
Whiteout: Melt
by anned
U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko is back in Antarctica in Whiteout: Melt, this time to investigate the mysterious explosion of a Russian research depot. Novelist Greg Rucka and Illustrator Steve Lieber team up on this beautifully done (and most deserving) Eisner winner. Lieber's brushwork is amazing, plus he's a master of zippotone!
If you missed the first four issue mini-series "Whiteout" (from Oni Press 1998), you can read the complete first issue for free at comicspace. Rumor has it that Rucka and Lieber are working on the third (and final) chapter of Carrie's story, "Whiteout: Thaw". The only hint Rucka has given is "Carrie's leaving the ice – the only question is how." A movie, directed by Dominic Sena and starring Kate Beckinsale as Carrie, is in the works and due for release in 2008.
Blog Post
One Child, One Night
by MarilynG
The holidays are upon us and many people are asking for our help now. If you are in the midst of deciding which group or organization to make a donation, consider the Interfaith Hospitality Network’s One Child, One Night program. Sponsor a homeless child's stay at Alpha House with his or her family for a night or two or three. Or sponsor one child a month in 2008.
Did you know that 43% of the homeless population in our country are children? To learn more, consider reading Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: Homeless Children and Their Families In Small-town America. Or, contact the Washtenaw Housing Alliance for more information on homelessness in our area.