Best Debut Fiction

From NPR, the Best Debut Fiction of 2009:

Stephen King's Favorite Books

Check out the Master of Horror's picks for the top books of 2009.

More Favorite Book Covers

In the third installment of the Book Design Review's Favorite Book Covers of 2009, The Book Table in Oak Park, IL offers their selections.

Books of the Decade

In addition to the end of the year lists, the end of the decade lists are starting to appear.  From the Guardian, 50 books that defined the decade.

2009 Biographies

2009 was a big year for biographies.  Here are some of the biographies appearing on the end of year Best-Of lists:

• Ayn Rand and the World She Made by Anne C. Heller

• Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey

• Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor by Brad Gooch

• Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi

• The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America by Douglas Brinkley

• Samuel Johnson: A Biography by Peter Martin

• Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong by Terry Teachout

• Robert Altman: The Oral Biography by Mitchell Zuckoff

• The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles

• True Compass: A Memoir by Edward Kennedy

• Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa by Mark Seal
  

Books for Book Clubs

From NPR, Best Books for a Book Club.

New York Times Best Sellers

Click here for the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

Mesmerizing Mysteries

From NPR, the Year's Most Mesmerizing Mysteries.

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

Googled: The End of the World as We Know It by Ken Auletta

This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly by Carmen Reinhart

On Thin Ice: The Changing World of the Polar Bear by Richard Ellis

Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits by Linda Gordon

The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness by Harlow Unger

Amazon's Best Books of the Month

Check out Amazon's choices for the Best of December.

Favorite Book Covers

For its annual look at the best book covers, the Book Design Review asked three independent bookstores to submit their favorite book covers from 2009.  Part One includes selections from WORD in Brooklyn, NY.  Part Two comes from RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, NH.  Check back next week for Part Three!

L.A. Times Favorite Books

From the L.A.Times, Favorite Fiction of 2009 and  Favorite Nonfiction of 2009.

Indie Next

Check out the recommendations from independent booksellers in the December Indie Next List.

New York Times Best Sellers

Click here for the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

New York Times Notable Books

The editors of the New York Times Book Review have revealed their selections for the 100 Notable Books of 2009 and the Ten Best Books of 2009.

Here are the Ten Best Books of 2009:

Fiction
Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy

Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

Half-Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls

A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert

Nonfiction
The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes

The Good Soldiers by David Finkel

Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr

Lords of Finance: The Bankers who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed

Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life by Carol Sklenicka

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays by Joel Waldfogel

Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World by John Hope Bryant

On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by Robert Poole

Defend the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 by Christopher Andrew

When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment by Mark Kleiman

Holiday Gift Ideas

From NPR, Season's Readings: Top Picks From Indie Booksellers.

January Releases

Place your holds on these upcoming titles:

Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz
Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert
Impact by Douglas Preston
Noah's Compass by Anne
Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky
The Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
Iron River by T. Jefferson Parker
The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
Blacklands by Belinda Baer
Snapped by Tracy Brown
Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn
The Girl with Glass Feet  by Ali Shaw
Genuine Lies by Nora Roberts
The First Rule by Robert Crais
Treasure Hunt by John Lescroart
The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith
Where the God of Love Hangs Out by Amy Bloom
The Wolf at the Door by Jack Higgins
The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell
Be Careful What You Pray For by Kimberla Lawson Roby
The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes
Gator a Go-Go by Tim Dorsey
Tea with Hezbollah by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis
Blood Ties by Kay Hooper

Hudson Book Discussion

Following up his bestselling memoir, All Over But the Shoutin', Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bragg again creates a soulful, poignant portrait of working-class Southern life by looking deep into his own family history. This new volume recounts the life of his maternal grandfather, Charlie Bundrum, who died in 1958, one year before Rick was born. Lacking a grandfather, the New York Times reporter sets out to build one "from dirt level, using half-forgotten sayings, half-remembered stories and a few yellowed, brittle, black-and-white photographs. (From Publishers Weekly)


Join us this Thursday, December 3 at the Hudson Library for a lively discussion of Ava's Man by Rick Bragg. Copies of the book are available at the Reserves Desk. Please contact the library at 861-3040 for more information.

Date & Time: Thursday, December 3 @ 1:00 pm
Location: Hudson Library Conference Room
**Registration not required**

New York Times Best Sellers

Click here for the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

Library Journal Best Books

Library Journal has selected it's picks for the best books of 2009.  In addition to the main list, Library Journal highlights the best in genre fiction. 

Costa Book Awards

The 2009 Costa Book Awards shortlist was announced yesterday.  The Costa Awards recognize the best in writing from the UK and Ireland.  Winners will be selected for the following categories:  First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry, and Children's Book.  The winners from each category will compete for Book of the Year.

First Novel Nominees:

The Finest Type of English Womanhood by Rachel Heath
John the Revelator by Peter Murphy
Beauty by Raphael Selbourne
The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw

Novel Nominees:

Family Album by Penelope Lively
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin 

Winners in the five categories will be announced January 5, 2010 and the Book of the Year will be announced January 26, 2010.

Another "Best Of" List

The Atlantic magazine has selected its picks for the Best Books of the Year.

Here are the top five books:

Abraham Lincoln: A Life by Michael Burlingame

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt

The Third Reich Trilogy (Concluding with The Third Reich at War) by Richard J. Evans

It's Beginning to Hurt: Stories by James Lasdun

Mrs. Woolf and the Servants: An Intimate History of Domestic Life in Bloomsbury  by Alison Light

New York Times Best Sellers

Click here for the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin

The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Elite Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star by Matthew Continetti

The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles (recent winner of the National Book Award for nonfiction)

The Predictioneer's Game: Using the Logic of Brazen Self-Interest to See and Shape the Future by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita

The Future of Faith: The Rise and Fall of Beliefs and the Coming Age of the Spirit by Harvey Cox

National Book Awards

Winners of the 2009 National Book Awards were announced last night.

Fiction:

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

Nonfiction:

The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles

Young People's Literature:

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

Poetry:

Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy by Keith Waldrop

Books for Boys

From The Art of Manliness, 50 Best Books for Boys and Young Men.

Author Appearance

Glenn Beck, author of The Christmas Sweater, Glenn Beck's Common Sense, and An Inconvenient Book, will be appearing Saturday, November 21 at the Borders store in South Tampa.  He will be promoting his new book Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government.

For more information about Arguing With Idiots, click here.

Date:  Saturday, November 21, 2009
Time:  12:00-1:30 pm
Location:  Borders
                909 N. Dale Mabry Hwy
                Tampa, FL 33607
                (813) 874-5722



View Larger Map

December Releases

Place your holds now on these upcoming books:

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton
Trial by Fire by J.A. Jance
Starcraft: Heaven's Devils by William C. Deitz
The Disappeared by M.R. Hall
The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry
La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith
Literary Life: A Second Memoir by Larry McMurtry
Hellraisers: The Life and Inebriated Times of Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter O'Toole, and Oliver Reed by Robert Sellers
Star Wars: Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil by Drew Karpyshyn
Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin
Hidden Empire by Orson Scott Card
Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag
I, Sniper by Stephen Hunter
13th Hour by Richard Doetsch
Days of Gold by Jude Deveraux

New York Times Best Sellers

Check out the latest New York Times best seller lists.

Indie Next List

Here are some recommendations from independent booksellers in the November Indie Next List.

New York Times Best Sellers

Check out the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

Kennedy and the Berlin Wall: A Hell of a Lot Better than a War by W.R. Smyser

Tear Down This Wall: A City, a President, and the Speech that Ended the Cold War by Romesh Ratnesar

Heart of a Patriot: How I Found the Courage to Survive Vietnam, Walter Reed and Karl Rove by Max Cleland

Ayn Rand and the World She Made by Anne C. Heller & Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right by Jennifer Burns

Sarah from Alaska: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar by Scott Conroy & Shushannah Walshe

Amazon Best of 2009

Amazon's Best Books of 2009 have been announced:

Top 100 Editors' Picks
Top 100 Customer Favorites

Amazon Top 10 of 2009:

• Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

• Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder

• Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

• Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

• Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival by Norman Ollestad

• The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

• The City & The City by China Mieville

• Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba
  

Where are the Women?

A backlash is brewing against Publishers Weekly for its failure to include women writers in its Top 10 Books of 2009.  Women in Letters and Literary Arts (WILLA) has come up with its own list in response:  Great Books By Women That Publishers Weekly Missed in 2009.

PW Best Books of 2009

With the end of the year fast approaching, the "Best Of" lists are starting to appear.  Publishers Weekly recently released its list of the best books of 2009.  The list includes Fiction, Poetry, Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror, Mass Market, Comics, Nonfiction, Religion, and Lifestyle titles.

PW's Top Ten of 2009:

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

Big Machine by Victor LaValle

Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey

A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon by Neil Sheehan

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin

Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer

Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann

Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford

Stitches:A Memoir by David Small

Amazon's Best of November

Check out the Amazon editors' picks for the best books of November.

Hudson Library Book Discussion

Off the coast of Massachusetts is rather grim, gray, and forbidding Shutter Island, a penal colony for the criminally insane. Federal marshals Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule are sent there to find a woman prisoner who has apparently disappeared. But how and where did she go? The island is heavily guarded, as is the twice-weekly supply ferry. Teddy also has another agenda: he seeks the man who killed his wife two years ago. Things are not what they seem as Chuck and Teddy, plagued by migraines and nightmares, dig deeper into the secrets that the island holds. (From Library Journal)


Join us Thursday, November 5 at the Hudson Library for a lively discussion of Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. Copies of the book are available at the Reserves Desk. Please contact the library at 861-3040 for more information.

Date & Time: Thursday, November 5 @ 1:00 pm
Location: Hudson Library Conference Room
**Registration not required**

New York Times Best Sellers

Check out the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

Dracula Returns

After a 112-year break, Count Dracula is back!  Dacre Stoker's Dracula: The Un-Dead  picks up 25 years after the original with vampire hunters Mina and Jonathan Harker, Professor Van Helsing, and Dr. Seward facing a new enemy who may or may not be the presumed dead Count.   The sequel, written by Bram Stoker's great-grandnephew, is sure to please fans of the original and leaves the door open for further adventures of the vampire hunters.

Los Angeles Times Review
Dracula: The Un-Dead Website

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

Total Recall: How the E-memory Revolution Will Change Everything by Gordon Bell

Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni

Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms by Diane Ravitch

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof

Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Truly Eat Responsibly by James McWilliams

A New Literary History of America by Greil Marcus

Vampire Novels

In honor of Halloween, the Top 10 Vampire Novels.

Spotlight on John Irving

John Irving, perhaps best known for the quirky The World According to Garp, published his 12th novel this week.  Last Night in Twisted River is an adventure story that takes place from 1954 to 2005 and covers familiar Irving territory--a New England setting, complicated families, memorable characters.  You can listen to Irving discuss writing and read from his new novel here.


Los Angeles Times Review
New York Times Review
Amazon's John Irving Page

John Irving Bibliography:

Setting Free the Bears
The 158-Pound Marriage
The Hotel New Hampshire
The Cider House Rules
A Prayer for Owen Meany
A Son of the Circus
The Water-Method Man
A Widow for One Year
The Fourth Hand
A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound
Until I Find You
Last Night in Twisted River

November Releases

Place your holds now on these upcoming releases:

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Rainwater by Sandra Brown
The Quilter's Holiday by Jennifer Chiaverini
No Less Than Victory by Jeff Shaara
The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan
Under the Dome by Stephen King
Broken Jewel by David Robbins
The Atlantis Code by Charles Brokaw
Ice by Linda Howard
The Wrecker by Clive Cussler
Too Much Happiness: Stories by Alice Munro
The Original of Laura: A Novel in Fragments by Vladimir Nabokov
The Imperial Cruise: A True Story of Empire and War by James Bradley
The Morning Show Murders by Al Roker

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

What Else But Home: Seven Boys and an American Journey Between the Projects and the Penthouse by Michael Rosen

The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles

Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich

Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Ruppel Shell

Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Health Care Reform: How We Can Achieve Affordable Medical Care for Every American and Make Our Jobs Safer by Howard Dean

Necronomicon '09

Florida's premier science fiction, fantasy, and horror convention will take place this weekend (October 23-25) in St. Petersburg.  Necronomicon, now in its 28th year, features authors, gaming, art, vendors, workshops, and more.  This year's guests of honor are writers Catherine Asaro, Patricia Briggs, and Richard Lee Byers. 

The convention will be held at the Hilton Bayfront St. Petersburg


View Larger Map

Read.gov

Explore new worlds with the Library of Congress!

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress recently launched Read.gov--a website for "people of all ages to discover the fascinating people, places and events that await you whenever you read".  Read.gov has author webcasts, booklists, and information on local/community resources.  You can also read classic books that have been digitized.  Take a look at A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

In addition to the cool stuff  for kids, teens, and adults, Read.gov has teaching resources for parents and educators.

St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading

The 17th annual St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading will take place this Saturday, October 24 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  Some of the featured authors presenting and signing their books include:  

• Taylor Branch (The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President)
• Tim Dorsey (Nuclear Jellyfish)
• Senator Bob Graham (America, The Owner's Manual)
• Richard Lederer (A Treasury for Dog Lovers,  A Treasury for Cat Lovers)
• Gary Mormino (Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams)
• James Swain (The Night Monster)
• Lisa Unger (Die for You)
• Jane Velez-Mitchell (iWant: My Journey from Addiction and Overconsumption to a Simpler, Honest Life)

For a full list of scheduled authors click here.  The festival will also feature a marketplace with more than 50 booksellers and exhibitors.  Admission to the festival is FREE.

Date:  Saturday, October 24
Time:  10 a.m. - 5 p.m.


View Larger Map

Parking information is available here.

Book TV

Here are some highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

Descent Into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid

The Good Soldiers by David Finkel

Clara's War: One Girl's Story of Survival by Clara Kramer

In Defense of Thomas Jefferson: The Sally Hemmings Sex Scandal by William Hyland Jr.

The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell

The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President by Taylor Branch

National Book Award Finalists

The National Book Foundation has announced the finalists for the 2009 National Book Awards.  The National Book Awards, now in their 60th year, celebrate the best in American literature.   The winners from each of the four categories--Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People's Literature--will be announced on November 18.  Gore Vidal, this year's recipient of the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, will also be honored.

National Reading Group Month

October is National Reading Group Month.  National Reading Group Month, established in 2007 by the Women's National Book Association, "aims to foster the values reading groups encourage: camaraderie, enjoyment of shared reading, and appreciation of literature and reading as conduits for transmitting culture and advancing civic engagement".

Click here for the 2009 National Reading Group Month Great Group Reads selections.  These titles are bound to be popular with book clubs.

If you're interested in joining a book group, check with your local branch library or search for one at Reader's Circle.

Book TV

Here are some highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege and How We Can Be Safe Again by Tom Ridge

The Death of Conservatism by Sam Tanenhaus

No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process by Colin Beavan

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert Edsel

Rescue Warriors: The U.S. Coast Guard, America's Forgotten Heroes by David Helvarg

Booker Prize

Hilary Mantel won the 2009 Booker Prize for her novel Wolf Hall.  For a list of previous Booker winners click here.

Indie Next

Check out the recommendations from independent booksellers in the October Indie Next list.

October Releases

Here are some of the new books out in October:

The Professional by Robert B. Parker
Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman
Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn
Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly
The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell
True Blue by David Baldacci
Invisible by Paul Auster
A Christmas Promise by Anne Perry
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the South by W. Ralph Eubanks

Shake the Devil Off: A True Story of the Murder that Rocked New Orleans by Ethan Brown

Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug Stanton

The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown

All of these titles are available from PCLS.

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School by Carlotta Walls LaNier

In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan by Seth Jones

The Myth of the Rational Market: A History of Risk, Reward, and Delusion on Wall Street by Justin Fox

A Brave Vessel: The True Tale of the Castaways who Rescued Jamestown and Inspired Shakespeare's The Tempest by Hobson Woodward

National Book Festival

The 2009 National Book Festival will take place this Saturday on the National Mall in Washington D. C. More than 70 authors and illustrators will take part in this annual celebration of books and reading. The Library of Congress website will have downloadable podcasts of participating authors. For a listing of festival authors click here.

Oprah's Book Club

Oprah announced her latest book club selection today. 

Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan

Check out Oprah's site for reading questions, an exclusive downloadable bookmark, and information about the author.  Click here for a list of previous book club selections.

Book TV

Here are some highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer

True Compass by Edward Kennedy

The American Future: A History by Simon Schama

Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town by Warren St. John

The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America by Steven Johnson

A More Unbending Battle: The Harlem Hellfighters' Struggle for Freedom in WWI and Equality at Home by Peter Nelson

Film Adaptations

From the Daily Telegraph, 25 Best Book to Film Adaptations.  The list represents a good mix of classic and modern fiction.

Hudson Library Book Discussion

 

At the age of twenty, Milwaukee native Chris Gardner, just out of the Navy, arrived in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. Considered a prodigy in scientific research, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry-level position at a prestigious firm than Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him as part of the city's working homeless and with a toddler son. Motivated by the promise he made to himself as a fatherless child to never abandon his own children, the two spent almost a year moving among shelters, "HO-tels," soup lines, and even sleeping in the public restroom of a subway station. (From publisher description)

Join us Thursday, October 1 at the Hudson Library for a lively discussion of The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner. Copies of the book are available at the Reserves Desk. Please contact the library at 861-3040 for more information.

Date & Time: Thursday, October 1 @ 1:00 pm
Location: Hudson Library Conference Room
**Registration not required**

Booker Prize Shortlist

The Booker Prize was announced last week.  The winner will be selected on October 6.

Fall Movies

From the Wall Street Journal, Hollywood Hits the Books.

Book TV

Here are some highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

Leading the Charge: Leadership Lessons from the Battlefield to the Boardroom by General Tony Zinni

The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama by Pico Iyer

A Colossal Failure of Common Sense: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Lehman Brothers by Lawrence McDonald

And Then There's This: How Stories Live and Die in Viral Culture by Bill Wasik

The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-Being by Nena Baker

10 Best Lady Detectives

From the UK's Times Online, the 10 Best Lady Detectives.

Fall Book Preview

Check out USA Today's interactive Fall books preview to see what's coming out in the next few months.

Book TV

Here are some highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

K Blows Top: A Comic Interlude, Starring Nikita Khrushchev, America's Most Unlikely Tourist by Peter Carlson

In Fed We Trust: Ben Bernanke's War on the Great Panic by David Wessel

Reagan's Secret War: The Untold Story of His Fight to Save the World from Nuclear Disaster by Martin Anderson and Annelise Anderson

The Myth of the Rational Market: A History of Risk, Reward, and Delusion on Wall Street by Justin Fox

And Then the Roof Caved In: How Wall Street's Greed and Stupidity Brought Capitalism to Its Knees by David Faber

New York Times Best Sellers

Check out the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

A Modern Take on the Classics

From the Wall Street Journal, modern reviewers consider the classics.

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

Abraham Lincoln by George McGovern

How Lincoln Learned to Read: Twelve Great Americans and the Education That Made Them by Daniel Wolff

Nine Lives: Life and Death in New Orleans by Dan Baum

The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington by Robert Novak

A Dawn Like Thunder: The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight by Robert Mrazek

Tell Me a Story: 50 Years and 60 Minutes in Television by Don Hewitt

New York Times Best Sellers

Check out the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

New York Times Best Sellers

Click here for the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

Indie Next List

Check out some of the recommendations from independent booksellers in the August Indie Next List.

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook - a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich and A. J. Jacobs

Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy by Lawrence Lessig

Seeds of Terror: How Heroin is Bankrolling the Taliban and Al Qaeda by Gretchen Peters

Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life by Gerald Martin

That Infernal Little Cuban Republic: The United States and the Cuban Revolution by Lars Schoultz

Voluntary Madness: My Year Lost and Found in the Loony Bin by Norah Vincent

September Releases

Place your holds now on these upcoming titles:

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Rough Country by John Sanford
There Goes the Bride by M.C. Beaton
Hardball by Sara Paretsky
Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods
A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve
Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain
The Lost Art of Gratitude by Alexander McCall Smith
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
Ground Zero by F. Paul Wilson

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

To Tell the Truth Freely: The Life of Ida B. Wells by Mia Bray

Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan by Doug Stanton

Triple Cross: How Bin Laden's Master Spy Penetrated the CIA, the Green Berets, and the FBI by Peter Lance

This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

100 Best Beach Books

NPR releases the results of its Best Beach Books Ever poll.

New York Times Best Sellers

Click here for the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

Booker Prize Longlist

The longlist for the Man Booker Prize was announced yesterday. The Booker Prize honors the best novel written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. For a list of previous winners and shortlisted titles click here. This year's shortlist will be announced on September 8.

Author Appearance

Vincenza Scarpaci, author of The Journey of the Italians in America, will sign copies of his book at two area locations:

Date: Friday, July 31
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: Felice's Italian Pork and Deli


View Larger Map

Date: Saturday, August 1
Time: 1:oo p.m.
Location: Barnes & Noble Clearwater
For more information about this event click here.


View Larger Map

New York Times Best Sellers

Check out the latest New York Times best sellers lists.

Frank McCourt

Famed memoirist Frank McCourt died on Sunday. McCourt is best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Angela's Ashes, an unflinching story of his grim Irish childhood. Two other books, 'Tis and Teacher Man, chronicled McCourt's adult life in New York. You can listen to a remembrance of McCourt, as well as audio clips of the author discussing his life and work, at NPR.

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from the Book TV schedule this weekend:

First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James Hansen

Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang by Zhao Ziyang

The Art of Making Money: The Story of a Master Counterfeiter by Jason Kersten

Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy by Peter Canellos

Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon by Craig Nelson

New York Times Best Sellers

Check out the most recent New York Times best sellers lists.

Book TV

Here are some of the highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise by Joe Scarborough

In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam by Robert McNamara

Healthcare, Guaranteed: A Simple Secure Solution for America by Ezekiel Emanuel

Catastrophe: How Obama, Congress, and the Special Interests are Transforming a Slump into a Crash, Freedom into Socialism, and a Disaster into a Catastrophe by Dick Morris

How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist by Andrew Newberg

The American Frontier

From the Guardian, Top 10 Tales of the American Frontier.

The Best So Far

Amazon considers the Best Books of 2009... So Far.

New York Times Best Sellers

Check out the most recent New York Times best sellers lists.

50 Books for Our Times

From Newsweek, What To Read Now. And Why.

Indie Next List

Check out some of the recommendations from independent bookstores in the July Indie Next List.

August Releases

Place your holds now on these upcoming releases:

Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Intervention by Robin Cook
The Traffickers by W.E.B. Griffin
Rules of Vengeance by Christopher Reich
The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom
The Battle for America, 2008: The Extraordinary Election of 2008 by Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson
Alibi by Teri Woods
The Last Ember by Daniel Levin
Of Bees and Mist by Eric Setiawan
In This Way I Was Saved by Brian DeLeeuw
The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners by Luanne Rice
Hitler's War by Harry Turtledove
Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn Wall
I Can See You by Karen Rose
South of Broad by Pat Conroy
Smash Cut by Sandra Brown
Blindman's Bluff by Faye Kellerman
Atlantis Revelation by Thomas Greanias
Rhino Ranch by Larry McMurtry
Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay
The Hunted by Brian Haig
Sand Sharks by Margaret Maron
Vanished by Joseph Finder
Red to Black by Alex Dryden
The Shortest Distance Between Two Women by Kris Radish
Soul of a Dog by Jon Katz
The Holy Bullet by Luis Miguel Rocha
206 Bones by Kathy Reichs
Even Money by Dick Francis and Felix Francis
Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

Book TV

Here are some highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

The Media Relations Department of Hezbollah Wishes You a Happy Birthday by Neil MacFarquhar

Reagan's Secret War: The Untold Story of His Fight to Save the World From Nuclear Disaster by Martin Anderson and Annelise Anderson

By His Own Rules: The Ambitions, Successes, and Ultimate Failures of Donald Rumsfeld by Bradley Graham

Bailout Nation: How Greed and Easy Money Corrupted Wall Street and Shook the World Economy by Barry Ritholz

New York Times Best Sellers

Check out the most recent New York Times best sellers lists.

Hudson Library Book Discussion

"In the early 1900s, married architect Frank Lloyd Wright eloped to Europe with the wife of one of his clients. The scandal rocked the suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. Years later, Mamah Cheney, the other half of the scandalous couple, was brutally murdered at Wright's Talliesen retreat. Horan blends fact and fiction to try to make the century-old scandal relevant to modern readers. The novel has something for everyone—a romance, a history of architecture, and a philosophical and political debate on the role of women." (from Booklist)

Join us next Thursday at the Hudson Library for a lively discussion of Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. Copies of the book are available at the Reserves Desk. Please contact the library at 861-3040 for more information.

Time & Date: Thursday, July 2 @ 1:00 pm
Location: Hudson Library Conference Room

New York Times Best Sellers

Check out the most recent New York Times best sellers lists.

Book TV

Here are some highlights from this weekend's Book TV schedule:

Mirrors: Stories of Almost Everyone by Eduardo Galeano

Money, Greed, and God: Why Capitalism is the Solution and Not the Problem by Jay W. Richards

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler, M.D.

One-Party Classroom: How Radical Professors at America's Top Colleges Indoctrinate Students and Undermine Our Democracy by David Horowitz

Driving Like Crazy: Thirty Years of Vehicular Hell-Bending by P.J. O'Rourke

American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven Rinella

Nancy Pearl's Summer Picks

Nancy Pearl, of Book Lust fame, shares her picks for the summer's best books with NPR. Click here to listen to Pearl discuss the books.

Oprah's Books of Summer

Check out Oprah's O Magazine Books of Summer.

PCLS has the following titles from the list:

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Heroic Measures by Jill Ciment
Yes, My Darling Daughter by Margaret Leroy
Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich
What I Thought I Knew by Alice Eve Cohen
A Pearl in the Storm by Tori Murden McClure
Columbine by Dave Cullen
The Glister by John Burnside
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen
Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Food of a Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky
Stormy Weather by James Gavin
One D.O.A., One on the Way by Mary Robison
Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange by Amanda Smyth

The Girls of Summer

From the New York Times, The Girls of Summer.

Some of the highlights from the list include:


Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan



Shanghai Girls by Lisa See



Queen Takes a King by Gigi Levangie Grazer



Trouble by Kate Christensen



Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella



Hothouse Flower and the 9 Plants of Desire by Margot Berwin



Summer House by Nancy Thayer



Dune Road by Jane Green

More Summer Reading Recommendations!

Here's another list of summer books, this time from the Los Angeles Times.

June Indie Next List

Check out some of the recommendations from independent bookstores in the June Indie Next List.

Literary Tearjerkers

From The Independent, Top Ten Literary Tearjearkers.

Author Event

Lisa Unger will be at the Barnes & Noble in Clearwater on Sunday, June 14 to sign her new book Die for You. For more information about the event click here.

Date: Sunday, June 14
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Barnes & Noble Clearwater


View Larger Map

Orange Prize Winner

Marilynne Robinson has been awarded the 2009 Orange Prize for her novel Home. Robinson's other novels include Housekeeping and Gilead, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award. For more information about this year's winner click here.

July Releases

Place your holds now on these upcoming July releases:

Black Hills by Nora Roberts
The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells
The Devil's Company by David Liss
Guardian of Lies by Steve Martini
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
In the Valley of Ancient Rain Gods by James Lee Burke
Sweet Mary by Liz Balmaseda
Girl in a Blue Dress by Gaynor Arnold
Ravens by George Dawes Green
The Defector by Daniel Silva
Fire and Ice by J.A. Jance
The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis
Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman
Mercy Thompson Homecoming by Patricia Briggs
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Dying for Mercy by Mary Jane Clark
Unconditionally Single by Mary B. Morrison
Hot Pursuit by Suzanne Brockmann

NPR's Summer Reading

Check out NPR's extensive Summer Books 2009. The site includes critics lists, excerpts from recommended books, podcasts, and even recipes!

Hudson Library Book Discussion

"From Buffalo to Alaska, Washington to the Dry Tortugas, Sarah Vowell visits locations immortalized and influenced by the spilling of politically important blood, reporting as she goes with her trademark blend of wisecracking humor, remarkable honesty, and thought-provoking criticism."

Join us next Thursday at the Hudson Library for a lively discussion of Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. Copies of the book are available at the Reserves Desk. Please contact the library at 861-3040 for more information.

Time & Date: Thursday, June 4 @ 1:00 pm
Location: Hudson Library Conference Room

For more information about the author click here.

Summer Reading

Check out Amazon's guide to Summer Reading. You can look forward to new books from your favorite authors, including Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich, Michael Connelly, Jennifer Weiner, Dean Koontz, and Clive Cussler.

May Indie Next

Check out some of the recommendations from independent booksellers in the May Indie Next List.

June Releases

Place your holds now on these upcoming June releases:

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds (6/2)
Matters of the Heart by Danielle Steel (6/2)
Medusa by Clive Cussler (6/2)
Murder on Waverly Place by Victoria Thompson (6/2)
My Father's Tears by John Updike (6/2)
Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton (6/2)
The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman (6/2)
Undead and Unwelcome by MaryJanice Davidson (6/2)
Relentless by Dean Koontz (6/9)
Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver (6/9)
Below Zero by C.J. Box (6/16)
Dune Road by Jane Green (6/16)
Knockout by Catherine Coulter (6/16)
The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner (6/16)

Shirley Jackson Awards

The nominees for the 2008 Shirley Jackson Awards have been announced. The awards honor outstanding achievement in psychological suspense, horror, and dark fantastic writing.

The nominees for best novel:

Alive in Necropolis by Doug Dorst
The Man on the Ceiling by Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem
The Resurrectionist by Jack O'Connell
The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Winners will be announced on July 12.

Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, check out some of these new PCLS titles:


The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget : Save Money, Save Time, Save the Planet by Josh Dorfman


The Green-Collar Economy : How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems by Van Jones


50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth by John Javna, Sophie Javna, and Jesse Javna


Green House : Eco-Friendly Disposal and Recycling at Home by Norm Crampton


Green : Your Place in the New Energy Revolution by Jane Hoffman and Michael Hoffman


The Little Green Book : 365 Ways to Love the Planet by Joe Provey and Owen Lockwood


Green Living for Dummies by Yvonne Jeffery, Liz Barclay and Michael Grosvenor


You Are Here: Exposing the Vital Link Between What We Do and What That Does to Our Planet by Thomas M. Kostigen


Almost Green: How I Saved 1/6th of a Billionth of the Planet by James Glave