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Ages 18+.

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Charles de Lint's latest tales from Newford

by emilyas

Charles de Lint's latest novel, Widdershins, was released last month and has received many positive reviews, including a starred review from Booklist. This novel continues the story of Jilly Coppercorn from de Lint's 2002 novel, The Onion Girl. In Widdershins, Jilly continues to recover from the car crash that left her crippled. She also struggles to come to terms with the inside of her own mind which still has not healed from deep childhood traumas. The story takes place as conflicts between the fairies and the native spirits threaten to a bring a war upon the world. De Lint encourages the reader to consider the environmental impact of humans and to analyze the relationships between both men and nations.

I recommend reading The Onion Girl first, in order to understand the complete history of this story. If you have never read a de Lint novel before, I also recommend giving any of his other books a try, such as Tapping the dream tree, Spiritwalk, Forests of the Heart or any of the Newford series.

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New Fiction Titles on the New York Times Best Sellers List (6/25/06)

by Mazie

John Updike found a new subject for his latest novel in a New Jersey neighborhood, a world away from Rabbit. In a recent BookExpo interview Updike said, "I was excited by having an 18-year-old hero and by trying to present, through him, the terrorist point of view...The fact that it is about terrorism, among other things, and that you do have sinister, thriller-like elements gave me some energy, too. I used to read a lot of mystery novels and some thrillers; it's a genre that I'm not unhappy with when I find myself in it."

At #4 is The Rapture by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins: this third prequel is another back to the beginning in the Left Behind Series.

At #6 is The Saboteurs by W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV: the Men at War series also continues; this adventure involves the derring-do of O.S.S. agents during World War II.

At #8 is Terrorist by John Updike: Updike writes for the first time about the post-9/11 world; he explores the life of a discontented high school boy attracted to the teachings of a radical iman.

At#15 is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: an old man looks back on his rollicking good times with a traveling circus during the Depression.

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Just in time for summer

by Maxine

It was 31 years ago on June 20, 1975, that the movie Jaws was released. With its tagline, "Don't go into the water," Steven Spielberg's thrilling and terrifying movie put fear into the hearts of swimmers for years to come. The movie, based on the book by Peter Benchley, used great special effects to show attacks by a great white shark on beach goers in New England. It won three Oscars and was a huge success at the box office.

To allay (or increase) your fears about these beasts, learn more about sharks in the recently published Sharks of the World by Leonard Compagno, which one reviewer on Amazon excitedly describes as "...the DEFINITIVE and COMPLETELY...EXHAUSTIVE shark guide."

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New Fiction Titles on the New York Times Best Sellers List (6/18/06)

by Mazie

You're in for thrills and chills and things that go bump in the night this week. Check out these 8 new titles on the List. And if you loved Casablanca and have not yet discovered Alan Furst, don't wait for his latest, rush to the shelves for any of his novels. They are wonderful!

At #1 is The Husband by Dean Koontz: a man races against the clock to save his kidnapped wife.

At #4 is The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: in the last volume in the Pendergast trilogy (Brimstone and Dance of Death), two brothers face off against each other in a battle of good and evil.

At #5 is The Cold Moon by Jeffery Deaver: a forensic detective hunts for a serial killer, the self-styled Watchmaker.

At #7 is Dark Side of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon: along with the rain, there are vampires on the loose in Seattle; the latest in the Dark-Hunter series.

At #8 is Killer Dreams by Iris Johansen: a research scientist suspects a drug company is using her discovery to create zombies.

At #10 is Betrayal by Aaron Allston: in the latest Star Wars novel, the Skywalker and Solo clans find themselves on opposite sides in a galactic war.

At #14 is Telegraph Days by Larry McMurtry: a lighthearted romp in the Old West, featuring a strong-willed heroine.

At #15 is The Foreign Correspondent by Alan Furst: Italian refugees plot against Mussolini in wartime Paris.

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Beach Reads 2006 (#2)

by muffy

School’s out. Grab these and head out for some fun and a little sun. Remember to sign up for the Summer Reading program.

The Attack by Yasmina Khadra. A Tel Aviv surgeon’s life is turned upside down by his link to a suicide bomber. Intense and timely.

Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern. Autistic Adam is the only witness and the prime suspect in another child’s murder. A gripping literary thriller.

The Mangler of Malibu Canyon by Jennifer Colt. Second crime-solving romp by the sleuthing McAfee twins on their pink Harley – this time involving a headless corpse in Aunt Reba’s Malibu digs. Wildly entertaining.

The Piano Man by Marcia Preston. A grieving mother tries to save the talented musician who received her son's transplanted heart. Compelling and graceful.

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher. Modern crime fantasy series set in Chicago where wizards battle black magic to protect the mortal population. A TV pilot is expected to air this summer.

Restoring Grace by Katie Fforde. A sparkling, breezy read about an old crumbling mansion, three women in need of a home, and finding much more in the end. (Her previous titles are just as delightful).

Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes by Cathy Holton. Three Georgian beauties exact revenge from straying spouses with aplomb and style. The Ya Ya Sisterhood meets the First Wives Club!

Slipstream by Leslie Larson, Drama, romance, and misfortune entangle the desperate souls working at LAX. Rich and seriously frightening.

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Fabulous Fiction Firsts # 26

by muffy

As a rule I don’t get particularly excited over debut novels by Hollywood insiders. However, the cover blurb intrigued me. Literacy and Longing in L.A. is about a book junkie.

When other thirty-something L.A. socialites with failed marriages and time on their hands shop, yoga and lunch, (Eu)Dora book binges, albeit in style - with $50 bubble baths, Coltrane, a steady supply of red wine and a doorman who shops and delivers.

Despite being a bit of a literary snob, Dora is sexy, smart, and likable, with a healthy dose of insecurity and a strong sense of family. She is open (to historical romance and the hunky clerk in a bookstore) and generous (I will let you find out).

The Chick Lit. ending won’t surprise you. Not brain surgery for sure, but what a fun read! And keep your eyes out for the very funny book quotes.

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Good ending v Bad ending

by Noelle Wall

Should "Caution: Bad Ending Ahead" warning labels come on books like content warnings come on CD's? Should we be warned ahead of time that a book is going to leave us hanging off the cliff, and sometimes falling into the never ending pit, of literary "Nowhereland"?
After reading The Alchemist's Daughter by Katharine McMahon, I am thinking maybe a cautionary warning label would be a welcomed disclaimer.
For the record, I am no literary wimp, and have been known to accept and eventually even embrace the "surprise" ending, the "untidy" ending, or the "out of character" ending.
HOWEVER, I cannot handle the "no way is this the ending" ending. You know what I am talking about. The ending that you just didn't see coming. The one that sideswipes you out of nowhere, and then leaves you riffling through the book hoping to find "hidden" pages somewhere in the book.
I felt totally gypped at the end of this novel, and found myself
pulling a Paul Harvey and pondering the whereabouts of the "rest of the story..".
Has this ever happened to you??

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James Shapiro's book on Shakespeare wins the Samuel Johnson Prize

by sernabad

James Shapiro, a Professor of English at Columbia University, was named the winner yesterday of the 2005 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction. His acclaimed book, A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599, studies the pivotal year in Shakespeare's life when he was 35 and not only wrote As You Like It and Henry V, but also finished the first draft of Hamlet.

Shapiro, who also wrote Shakespeare and the Jews in 1996, was awarded the $55,000 purse in this most prestigious UK nonfiction prize.

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Good News

by Robb

It's nice to hear something positive in the news. Nearly four months after refusing potentially life-extending treatment for his failing kidneys, Art Buchwald is alive against all expectations.

On the Diane Rehm show June 8, 2006 Diane visited with Mr Buchwald at the hospice where he’s been staying before he leaves to write a book on Martha’s Vineyard this summer.

Art Buchwald, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist has been ranked among America's finest humor writers for decades. The library has a number of his works available including his latest Beating around the Bush

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How It All Started

by Maxine

On June 14, 1951, Univac 1 was unveiled in Philadelphia. Designed for the Bureau of the Census, this was the first commercial electronic computer although it had been preceded by ENIAC, both systems developed by John Mauchy and others at the University of Pennsylvania. Massive in size and short on memory compared to our gigabyte world, UNIVAC, as it was soon called, represented a tidal shift in technology whose repercussions have affected every aspect of life as we know it.

Two current and entertaining books on the history of computers are What the Dormouse Said-:How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry by John Markoff and Electronic Brains: Stories from the Dawn of the Computer Age by Mike Hally. The first chronicles the beginnings of the PC revolution in 1960's San Francisco and its assortment of colorful characters. The second was inspired by a BBC radio series. A more comprehensive view of the development of the industry in different countries, Hally's book provides a backdrop of historical events that influenced the development of computer technology.