NPR's Summer Books

The summer is already well under way, but check out NPR's Summer Books 2008 website. The site offers critics' lists, Book Tour podcasts, excerpts from books, and much more. Also available, a printable list of summer book recommendations.

In addition to its summer reading website, NPR is expanding its online coverage of books. For more information click here.

The New Classics

Entertainment Weekly offers the 100 best reads from 1983 to 2008.

Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

George Carlin will be the recipient of the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The prize "recognizes an artist who has made a significant contribution to the world of American comedy". Previous recipients include: Billy Crystal, Neil Simon, Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, Whoopi Goldberg, and Richard Pryor. For background information on the prize and a list of previous recipients click here.

Summer Reading

From the Los Angeles Times: 2008 Summer Reading List

Beach Reads

Summer is here! Dip into some of these new books that are perfect for the beach or pool:

The Beach House by Jane Green
Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner
Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger
Dirty Girls on Top by Alisa Valdos-Rodriguez
Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin
Plague Ship by Clive Cussler
Sail by James Patterson
Swine Not? by Jimmy Buffett
Undead and Unworthy by MaryJanice Davidson
The Whole Truth by David Baldacci

Travel Literature

From the National Geographic Traveler website: Trip Lit: New Books that Transport Us

Audies Winners

The winners of the Audies, which recognize excellence audiobook publishing, were recently announced. PCLS has the following winning audiobooks:

Solo Narration--Male:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (J. K. Rowling) narrated by Jim Dale

Mystery:
Tin Roof Blowdown (James Lee Burke) narrated by Will Patton

Romance:
Natural Born Charmer (Susan Elizabeth Phillips) narrated by Anna Fields

D-Day: June 6, 1944

In honor of D-Day (June 6), read up on the historic invasion of Normandy with these PCLS titles:

• The Americans at D-Day by John C. McManus
• The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice by Alex Kershaw
  
• D-Day: The Greatest Invasion by Dan Van der Vat
  
• D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II by Stephen E. Ambrose
• D-Day with the Screaming Eagles by George E. Koskimaki
• June 6, 1944: The Voices of D-Day by Gerald Astor
  
• Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich by David Webster

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum website offers a wealth of historical documents, including journal entries, operation orders, reports, maps, and photographs.

The Library of Congress Veterans History project includes personal stories from veterans involved in the D-Day invasion. You can listen to the audio interviews from veterans of D-Day here.