JCPLA Reader's Advisory Roundtable

weekly stats

2012-03-08T07:54:00.002-08:00

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Average per Day .................. 1
Average Visit Length .......... 0:00
This Week ........................ 8

Page Views

Total ........................ 3,101
Average per Day .................. 1
Average per Visit .............. 1.1
This Week ........................ 9

Weekly blog stats

2012-03-01T12:19:00.002-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,416
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:46
This Week ....................... 19

Page Views

Total ........................ 3,091
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.1
This Week ....................... 20

weekly stats

2012-02-23T09:40:00.002-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,398
Average per Day .................. 4
Average Visit Length .......... 0:26
This Week ....................... 27

Page Views

Total ........................ 3,072
Average per Day .................. 5
Average per Visit .............. 1.2
This Week ....................... 32

weekly stats

2012-02-16T15:23:00.002-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,370
Average per Day ................. 11
Average Visit Length .......... 1:17
This Week ....................... 75

Page Views

Total ........................ 3,039
Average per Day ................. 13
Average per Visit .............. 1.2
This Week ....................... 89

Weekly blog stats

2012-02-09T07:21:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,295
Average per Day .................. 7
Average Visit Length .......... 1:02
This Week ....................... 47

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,950
Average per Day ................. 10
Average per Visit .............. 1.5
This Week ....................... 69

Debut Fiction

2012-02-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

I want to thank library director April W. for hosting our cozy, convivial group this morning at the new Pinson Library!

The topic for our next meeting on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 is Cowboys vs. Aliens. In other words, westerns and science fiction. :-) No worries, you are not required to read one of each unless you just want to.

We still need volunteers for refreshments at the April and August meetings, so email me (hwesley@bham.lib.al.us) if you’d like to step up to the plate.

The spring selection for Project Read One Book is Gin Phillips’ Come in and Cover Me. You can get more information on PROB at www.projectreadonebook.org. This is a great program for jumpstarting a book group at your library. It’s now time for PROB to look ahead to putting together some titles for a fall selection, so if you’d like to be part of the PROB team, or make suggestions, email April at adeaton@bham.lib.al.us.

Kelly informed the group that there is a new edition of the Pleasant Grove Tornado Book coming out soon. Get more information on this book at www.pleasantgrovetornadobook.com. Kelly also let us know about a new movie program on Friday mornings at Springville Road. You can get more information about this program by emailing her at kslaney@bham.lib.al.us.

Debut fiction is one of my very favorite types of book to read. I posted the following to my own library’s blog last February:

I really love debut novels. They often offer new stories and new perspectives in addition to a sometimes less polished writing style. I appreciate the slightly less glossy experience for the bravery and effort on the part of the new novelist. Some have published in arts journals, short story collections and anthologies, poetry publications, etc but that first novel length work of fiction, no doubt their baby for many a year, is truly a first outing. I don't claim to like them all, but I do appreciate each and every one because that is a person who doesn't sit around and say, as I do, "I really need to get started on that idea and write," but rather steps up to the keyboard and does the heavy lifting.

Here is a list from Paste magazine: their choices of the best debut novels of the decade (2000-2009)

And now, on to the list!

Watership Down by Richard Adams
House of Zeor by Jacqueline Lichtenberg
Mary Anne, Southern History

GENERAL DISCUSSION: Watership Down is definitely something to consider for childhood readers of books like the Redwall series, Dinotopia, Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH, and Duncton Wood when those readers are ready to move on to something with a little more substance. There is an animated feature of Watership Down, but several roundtable members where in staunch agreement that parental guidance should definitely be exercised in letting children under the age of 10 watch it. Mary Anne’s description of The House of Zeor paralleled some of the most popular plots today of vampire fiction. This book was published around 1974, only two years before Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire and the snowball resurgence of vampire fiction that was to follow. I obviously can’t say with any authority that Lichtenberg’s book was a source of inspiration for later authors any more so than Stoker and other authors of early vampire fiction, but it seems entirely plausible.

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Looking for Alaska by John Green
April, Pinson

GENERAL DISCUSSION: April mentioned that Durrow’s book won the 2008 PEN/Bellwether Prize, an award established in 2000 by Barbara Kingsolver (and funded entirely by her) to promote fiction that addresses issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships.

Staked by J. F. Lewis
Eric the vampire doesn’t have a lot going for him other than the whole immortality thing, and he’s not even terribly fond of that. Let’s start with his memory. Does he remember why he’s yelling at the pile of remains in front of him, or better yet, why he killed him? Uh, no. Someone may or may not have been trying to kill him and/or ruin his business lately, but Eric’s policy has always been to forget that which may upset him. Also, his human girlfriend Tabitha has been bugging him to make her a vampire lately (she thinks he’ll be delighted that they can stay together forever…) and he just doesn’t understand how she hasn’t gotten that he doesn’t date vampires. Between the threats to his life (or is that undeath?) and business and the threats to his bachelor freedoms from Tabitha, Eric is snowed under, grumpy, and ready to get away from it all. Hilarious, raunchy, gory fun!
Holley, Emmet O’Neal

Black Ships by Jo Graham
Graham’s retelling of Aeneid is lush, exotic, and true while maintain an adventurous pace. Gull is the daughter of a slave who is taken into the service of the Lady of the Dead after a chariot accident leaves her maimed. After all, “there was no food for slaves who could not work.” Her prophecy of black ships and a burning city was heeded by the Lady but no one else of much consequence. Later, when the black ships arrive, Gull must decide whether or not to accept her destiny as the counsel of kings.
Holley, Emmet O’Neal

Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman
In Depression-era Michigan, university professor Frances Nichols runs off with another professor’s wife, Eudora. The atmosphere of the town turns oppressive and Frank and Eudora are desperate to find somewhere to be together without judgment. Frank gets a letter from a lawyer in far-off Whitbrow, Georgia originally from a distant relative, recently deceased:

“Dear Orville Frances…
Although I know nothing of your character, I can only assume that you are a good man if anything of my sister passed to you & for that reason I ask you to sell this house and to remain where you are, or in some other place…frank please do not make this your home…there is bad blood here, and it is against you for no fault of your own & you will not have time to go stale in whitbrow. This place will smell out I fear what is in you and claim you, for its own, it, will, hug, your, bones, into, the , woods…”

Disregarding the ramblings of an obviously sick and confused old woman, Frank and Eudora head for salvation. Of course, you and I both know there’s nothing good in those woods….
Holley, Emmet O’Neal

The Postmortal by Drew Magary
Kelly, Springville Road

What is your favorite first novel?

Meeting Next Wednesday, February 8th

2012-02-05T12:35:00.000-08:00

DON'T FORGET!!!

This month we are meeting at the PINSON LIBRARY for Reader's Advisory Roundtable.

We'll meet Wednesday, February 8th at 9am to discuss debut fiction.

The Pinson Library is located at:

4410 Main Street
Pinson, AL 35126
205-680-9298

or, Google Map it: http://g.co/maps/ssq28

I'll see you there!
Holley

weekly stats

2012-02-02T07:32:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,249
Average per Day .................. 5
Average Visit Length .......... 0:12
This Week ....................... 36

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,884
Average per Day .................. 6
Average per Visit .............. 1.2
This Week ....................... 44

2012 schedule for Avondale's Adaptations book group

2012-01-30T14:34:00.001-08:00

Our Sherlock Holmes Celebration has ended, but the 2012 season of Adaptations is just getting started. Here's what we have to look forward to:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Screening Party: Sunday, Feb. 12th
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, Feb. 28th

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Screening Party: Sunday, Mar. 11th
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, Mar. 27th

Moneyball by Michael Lewis
Screening Party: Sunday, Apr. 15th
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, Apr. 24th

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Screening Party: Sunday, May 6th
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, May 22nd

Coyboys & Aliens by Fred Van Lente & Andrew Foley*
Screening Party: Sunday, June 10th
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, June 26th

Watchmen by Alan Moore*
Screening Party: TBA (offsite)
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, July 24th

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
Screening Party: Sunday, Aug. 12th
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, Aug. 28th

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis
Screening Party: Sunday, Sept. 16th
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, Sept. 25th

The Thing ("Who goes there?" by John W. Campbell, Jr.)**
Screening Party: Sunday, Oct.14th
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, Oct. 23rd

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Screening Party: Sunday, Nov. 4th
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, Nov. 13th

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Screening Party: Sunday, Dec. 2nd
AfterParty Discussion: Tuesday, Dec. 11th

*Part of our Super Summer Comic-Book-to-Film Series
**Part of our Monster Mash Movie Madness Series

http://avondaleadaptations.blogspot.com/

Weekly blog stats

2012-01-26T07:34:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,212
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 2:07
This Week ....................... 22

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,837
Average per Day .................. 4
Average per Visit .............. 1.3
This Week ....................... 29

weekly stats

2012-01-19T07:11:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,190
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 0:03
This Week ....................... 12

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,808
Average per Day .................. 2
Average per Visit .............. 1.0
This Week ....................... 12

Weekly blog stats

2012-01-12T09:55:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,178
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 2:01
This Week ....................... 14

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,796
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.7
This Week ....................... 24

Weekly blog stats

2012-01-05T14:25:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,164
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:01
This Week ....................... 21

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,772
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.0
This Week ....................... 21

weekly stats

2011-12-29T08:12:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,143
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:00
This Week ....................... 23

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,751
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.0
This Week ....................... 24

weekly stats

2011-12-15T07:17:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,029
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 2:15
This Week ....................... 20

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,614
Average per Day .................. 4
Average per Visit .............. 1.3
This Week ....................... 25

Travel Writing

2011-12-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

Our next meeting is February 8, 2012 to discuss debut novels. I absolutely LOVE reading authors' first books, seeing where it all began. If you want to peruse a list of great debut novels, Google is a great place to start! Also, a recent issue of Booklist (Nov 1? Nov 15?) spotlighted debut novels.

April Wallace, director of the Pinson Library and faithful RA Roundtable member, is also in charge of the Project Read program. We need suggestions and recommendations for books for the program so comment here at the blog with any likely candidates.

On to the list!

The Journey North: One Woman's Story of Hiking the Appalachian Trail by Adrienne Hall
There are numerous books about thru/section hiking the AT. I would recommend these types of books to anyone interested in outdoor/hiking activities. The JCLC has a lots of AT books (a keyword search for "appalachian trail" resulted in 70 items) which include "how-to, "autobiographical, and fictional accounts of trail life on the AT.

Hall's book is an easy enjoyable read but lacks depth about the social interactions with other hikers and "trail angels" that are a huge part of hiking the AT. This is presumably because she started the AT almost 2 months before the bulk of hikers begin the AT, in hopes of avoiding "the crowds." She suffered through horrible weather (again, a reason to *wait* before starting the AT) and seemed to have a miserable and challenging time for the most part. But there were bright spots in Hall's writing, and while I would not recommend this book to someone who had not hiked on the AT, I would quickly recommend it to someone looking for an AT fix, because they will recognize and remember the AT easily through Hall's writing. Hall also drifted from personal narrative to somewhat boring accounts of historical, environmental, and legal issues related to the trail. I often skimmed these sections as I'd either read them before, or they were outdated (Hall's trip was in 1996) and felt like "old news." Plus, who wants to read 4 pages about salamanders? I don't. But for AT fanatics these type of books are still desirable, despite their flaws, because they allow us to revisit the AT (the good and the bad, the exciting and the boring) from the relative safety and warmth of our own comfy homes.
Gina, Gardendale

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
Michelle, Irondale

The Greedy Bastard Diary: A Comic Tour of America by Eric Idle
Mondretta, Leeds

Drives of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Most Spectacular Trips by National Geographic
Mondretta, Leeds

How to Eat a Small Country: A Family's Pursuit of Happiness, One Meal at a Time by Amy Finley
Amy Finley felt like she'd gotten it all after winning the top spot on the third season of The Next Food Network Star, but her husband sure didn't think so. Unhappy with a laundry list of new obligations Amy had to fulfill, he mentions the big "D" word. Amy examines her life, her successes, and her choice between family and fame becomes clear. Amy, her husband, and their two small children move back to his home country of France for some bonding, soul searching, and (maybe) a healing of their marriage. Finley's descriptions of the tiny French towns and decadent food are wondrous. The stories are honest and she doesn't hide the fights, petty comebacks, and occasional cold shoulders that accompany her marital disagreements. This book will make you believe in the power of family, even dysfunctional ones...or maybe especially dysfunctional ones :-)
Holley, Emmet O'Neal

Best American Travel Writing
Jon, Avondale

Travel is a Political Act by Rick Steves
Jon, Avondale

Volunteer Vacations
Jon, Avondale

God's Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre by Richard Grant
Jon, Avondale

Places in Between by Rory Stewart
Jon, Avondale

Smile When You're Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer by Chuck Thompson
Jon, Avondale

Tony Wheeler's Bad Lands
Jon, Avondale

Lunatic Express: Discovering the World Via Its Most Dangerous Buses, Boats, Trains, and Planes by Carl Hoffman
Jon, Avondale

Off the Beaten Path: Alabama
Leigh, North Birmingham

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner
Former NPR foreign correspondent and professed grumpy person Eric Weiner takes on happiness on it's own turf. He travels far and wide seeking out the documented happiest places on earth and tries to get to the bottom of why they feel so cheerful. Funny, insightful, sobering, and utterly enchanting.
Holley, Emmet O'Neal

Holidays in Hell: In Which Our Intrepid Reporter Travels to the World's Worst Places and Asks, "What's Funny About This?" by P.J. O'Rourke
Travelogues of beautiful vacation spots littered the field in 1988. P. J. O’Rourke decided to write a few tips for sojourning in some of the less-desirable points on the globe, such as Beirut during the war, Seoul during a contentious political election (riots are contentious, right?), Christmas in El Salvador, and along the U.S./Mexican border. Of the many books I’ve read, this is, hands down, the funniest, and the one I place lovingly in the hands of any patron who wants humor. From “A Ramble Through Lebanon”:

“Bassboat.” “Bizport.” “Passboot.” “Pisspot.” It’s the one English word every Lebanese understands and no Lebanese can say. The first, deepest and most enduring impression from a visit to Lebanon is an endless series of faces, with gun barrels, poking through the car window and mispronouncing your travel documents.”

“…Lebanon is notably free of tour groups and Nikon-toting Japanese. The beaches, though shell-pocked and occasionally mined, are not crowded. Ruins of historical interest abound, in fact, block most streets….”

“ Spaghetteria is a favorite with the foreign press. The Italian specials are good, and there’s a spectacular view of military patrols and nighttime skirmishing along the beachfront. Sit near the window if you feel lucky….”

If you are curious about third world war zones in the 1980’s, and what it was like to have an embedded holiday, you’ll enjoy this book. It also proves that some things haven’t changed a bit! Readers’ Advisory: Among the Euro-Weenies is definitely NOT Politically Correct!
Kelly, Springville Road

Digging for the Truth: One Man’s Epic Adventure Exploring the World’s Greatest Archeological Mysteries By Josh Bernstein
910.4 BernJ 2006 Audio (Unabridged)
Read by William Dufris
Josh Bernstein is the host of the series Digging for the Truth on the History Channel. This book is a combination of biography and travel; it first chronicles how he grew up loving camping trips, wilderness experiences, and all things outdoors and then recounts his adventures and mishaps as host of his popular television series. Armchair travelers will welcome the chance to explore locales such as Easter Island and Machu Picchu from the comfort of their own homes, which will seem twice as comfortable after hearing of Bernstein’s run-ins with diseases, questionable food, and venomous or parasitic wildlife. However, none of these things can quell Bernstein’s enthusiasm for his travels and archaeological investigations. I enjoyed Dufris’ reading on the audio version, but other readers interested in this topic might want to check out the text version as well for the photographs. Digging for the Truth will bring out the Indiana Jones in you.
Mary Anne, Southern History

Don’t Go There! The Travel Detective’s Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World
By Peter Greenberg
910.4 GreeP 2009
We all hope our vacations will be flawless excursions that help us relax and leave us with fond memories. We can hope, but our dream vacations can turn into nightmares because of filthy hotels, incompetent airlines, disease-ridden cruise ships, and destinations where you stand a better than average chance of being murdered for your shoes. Greenberg, who is the travel writer for the Today show, tries to help the reader escape some of these tourist traps by listing his picks on such topics as “Worse Hotels: Paging Norman Bates”
“Worst Cruises: Ships of Fools” and “Highways of Death:God’s Not Your Copilot.” Everyone who has traveled extensively is bound to have war stories, but you could literally wind up in a war zone in “Dangerous Destinations: You’d Better Pack More Than Samsonite.” One of Greenberg’s most hair-raising accounts is of the tourist who discovered a dead body under the bed in his hotel room. Through most of this book I was torn between dismay and hilarity and while I resolved never to visit some of these locations and hotels, I thought a lot of his advice would have to be taken as a cautionary text and it would be up to me to do more research on my own if I were thinking of traveling to some of his “Dangerous Destinations”---one of which is Birmingham, Alabama. Still, Greenberg’s book could be an excellent starting point for where not to take a vacation.
Mary Anne, Southern History

A Night to Remember
By Walter Lord
910.4 LordW
Any top ten list of nightmare cruises would have to include the disastrous voyage of the RMS Titanic, the passenger liner that stuck an iceberg and sank early in the morning of April 15th, 1912, sending over 1500 people to their deaths in the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Most readers would not think of Walter Lord’s account of the catastrophe as travel writing in the generally accepted sense, but with what amounts almost to reverence for precise detail, Lord delivers a well-paced and moving chronicle of the ship’s last hours and gives the modern reader a real sense of what it meant to travel in the great age of luxury cruise ships. Lord interviewed many Titanic survivors while working on the book and so is able to provide numerous personal touches that illumine the tragedy and horror of the sinking with courage and dignity. Lord makes few overt attempts to manipulate the reader’s emotions, but his calm recital of the facts always leaves me in tears as the survivors in the too-few lifeboats are rescued by the RMS Carpathia and the distraught women of the Titanic protest against being pestered with too many questions: “Go away, we have just seen our husbands drown.” Considered by some Titanic buffs to be the definitive account of the sinking, Lord’s account was made into a film into 1958. With the 100th anniversary of the sinking fast approaching, many travel companies are offering commemorative cruises in memory of the doomed liner and the disaster victims, but a reader who has just finished A Night to Remember would probably choose to stay home---and immediately start reading the book again. Highly recommended.
Mary Anne, Southern History

What is YOUR favorite travel book? Also, any suggestions for a Project Read selection in the spring?
Holley

Weekly stats

2011-12-08T07:39:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 2,009
Average per Day .................. 4
Average Visit Length .......... 0:57
This Week ....................... 30

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,589
Average per Day .................. 5
Average per Visit .............. 1.1
This Week ....................... 33

Meeting next week

2011-12-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

Our meeting is next Wednesday, December 14th at 9am at the Emmet O'Neal Library. We'll be discussing travel writing! It's also our annual potluck meeting, so , if you can, please bring a small snack to share with the group.

See you there!
Holley

Weekly stats

2011-12-01T07:57:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 1,979
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:00
This Week ....................... 18

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,556
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.0
This Week ....................... 18

weekly stats

2011-11-26T13:53:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 1,961
Average per Day .................. 4
Average Visit Length .......... 0:36
This Week ....................... 25

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,538
Average per Day .................. 5
Average per Visit .............. 1.4
This Week ....................... 34

Weekly stats

2011-11-17T07:15:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 1,937
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:41
This Week ....................... 21

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,505
Average per Day .................. 4
Average per Visit .............. 1.3
This Week ....................... 28

weekly stats

2011-11-14T09:19:00.001-08:00

Visits

Total ........................ 1,916
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:14
This Week ....................... 19

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,477
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.2
This Week ....................... 23

Weekly blog stats

2011-11-03T12:10:00.001-07:00

Visits

Total ........................ 1,896
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 0:02
This Week ....................... 17

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,453
Average per Day .................. 2
Average per Visit .............. 1.0
This Week ....................... 17

Weekly stats

2011-10-27T10:08:00.001-07:00

Visits

            Total ........................ 1,879            
            Average per Day .................. 2            
            Average Visit Length .......... 0:07            
            This Week ....................... 12            

          Page Views

            Total ........................ 2,436            
            Average per Day .................. 2            
            Average per Visit .............. 1.3            
            This Week ....................... 16

February 2012 Debut Novels

2011-10-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

Mary Anne just reminded me that a recent Booklist issue had the Spotlight on First Novels feature! If you want to poke around and see what you might want to bring to the February meeting!

http://www.booklistonline.com/

weekly stats

2011-10-13T07:20:00.001-07:00

Visits

Total ........................ 1,820
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:11
This Week ....................... 18

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,367
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.1
This Week ....................... 20

Cross-Genre Romance

2011-10-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, December 14th at 9am back at Emmet O'Neal Library. We'll be discussing Travel Writing. This is a nonfiction topic.
What are YOU reading?

Thirsty by Tracey Bateman
My first outing into Christian paranormal romance was not bad, not bad at all. The vampire involved was angsty (obviously, since he refused to indulge his inner cravings), the woman involved was likable, and the town was suitably woodsy and isolated. The vampire, Malcolm, encountered Nina when she was a teenager. Nina's father's alcoholism definitely found its way down the family tree and she had passed out at her highschool graduation party. Malcolm whisked the unconscious girl back to his cave and was about seriously thinking about draining her when the cops showed up to the party. He found some inner strength and took her back to the river bank to be found by the authorities. Flash forward about 20 years and Nina is returning to her hometown newly humbled. Just out of rehab, divorced, unemployed and having lost custody of her children, Nina is coming home to live with her sister, the town's sheriff, until she can get back on her feet. Almost immediately, Nina's careful attempts to reconstruct her life are well on the way to destruction. Her sister's very handsome neighbor is just as compelling as he is unnerving, a series of gruesome murders occur, and Nina's stormy relationship with her teenage daughter Meg seems to only worsen as the week goes by. The only things she's sure about is that one drink would make it all better. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure Malcolm feels the same way, just not about alcohol. Lots of metaphors for the finding, and Bateman's treatment of spirituality and evangelism is subtle and well-done, as is her handling of Nina's struggles with alcoholism.
Holley, Emmet O'Neal

Hawk's Prize by Elaine Barbieri
Mondretta, Leeds

Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee
Mary Anne, Southern History

The Hand I Fan With by Tina McElroy Ansa
Michelle Hamrick, Irondale

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber
Gina, Gardendale

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
This debut novel is almost a “pick 6” in genres. Charlotte (Charley) Davidson is a private investigator in Albuquerque, NM (mystery). She works with and frequently assists her uncle, who is a homicide detective (police procedural). She is a young, urban professional who has a great relationship with her best friend and assistant, and they’re both single and looking (chick lit). She’s also the Grim Reaper, to which troubled souls are attracted so she can assist them to pass through her to the “other side” (paranormal). She’s got a dream lover with whom she is obsessed and who may, or may not, be a demon (romance), and her hilarious, sarcastic, and incisive dialogues are nearly incontinence producing (comedy). There’s truly something for everyone in this first novel and Ms. Jones delivers on all of them. She manages to weave the plots and sub-plots together with great characterizations and a truly innovative premise, and she’s not afraid of a little controversy.
Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones
Ms. Jones continues to expand the world of Charley Davidson by telling us more about the people (alive and dead) with whom she is surrounded. The mystery involves the disappearance of an old friend of Cookie’s (Charley’s best friend and co-worker). When other members of the missing woman’s high school class start turning up dead, the race is on to find the links between the past and the present. In other news, Charley’s boyfriend has left his body to be tortured by demons in order to prevent said demons from finding Charley. She’s determined to find and rescue his physical body while his spirit is determined to prevent her from doing so. Their relationship would definitely be listed as “It’s complicated” on Facebook! Throw in her lust-hate relationship with the handsome bounty hunter who works with her uncle, her growing awareness of her own special abilities, and something strange going on with her father and you’ve got all the makings of a first rate genre-crossing read!
Kelly, Springville Road

Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Shecter
Cleopatra’s Moon is a young adult novel based on the true story of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and General Mark Antony’s only daughter, Cleopatra Selene. This is a well-written book that cross-genre fans will enjoy.

Shecter’s Cleopatra’s Moon is an interesting blend of romance, history and adventure. She paints a vivid picture of ancient Rome and Egypt, a culture filled with extraordinary sights, sounds and smells. We learn about the deities that are important in the Roman and Egyptian culture, as well as important beliefs and rituals.

Cleopatra Selene is an intelligent, loyal, inquisitive and strong young female character. She has grown up in the royal palace on the Nile and has only known a privileged life. Now, the jealous Roman Emperor Octavianus wants to control Egypt and launches a war. As a result, Selene loses everything and is taken to live in Octavianus’ palace in Rome. She vows that she will regain her dignity, return to Egypt and reclaim her kingdom. While in Rome, she meets two young men who threaten to distract her from her ultimate goal. Will she choose love or her kingdom? You’ll just have to read the book to see.

This is an interesting novel filled with historical details. Cleopatra’s Moon is a great read for young adults or adults who are interested in historical fiction, Egyptian history or books about strong women in history.
Leslie, Central Fiction

Circus of the Damned by Laurell K. Hamilton
Leigh, North Birmingham

GENERAL DISCUSSION TOPICS

One participant mentioned the plot for a book she believed would have been great for discussion but she could not remember the author or title. We discussed a couple of websites that are useful resources for accessing the "collective knowledge" of readers to help in finding books when all you know is the plot. First off, look to your peers for outstanding RA assistance! Send an email to "everyone" in the JCLC email system. Many of us have had luck finding titles this way. Especially good for those hard to find children's titles is Loganberry Books' "Book Stumper" link. Smart Bitches, Trashy Books is especially good for romance titles. They have a special "Help a Bitch Out" archive and you can email them with HABO in the subject line. They are all over Facebook too so their collective intelligence is legion.

Time travel came up, and you can't mention time travel and cross genre romance without also mentioning Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Also rans include Time and Again by Jack Finney and the 1979 movie, Time After Time, based on Karl Alexander's novel of the same name.

Thomas Perry's The Butcher's Boy, Sleeping Dogs, and The Informant.
Kirkus Reviews 2011 April #1
Twenty years after a trio of lowlifes forced him out of retirement (Sleeping Dogs,??1992, etc.), the Butcher's Boy is back. When you're a professional killer who works freelance, your employers are likely to include a large number of nasty guys. So it's not clear to Perry's nameless hero, who started calling himself Michael Schaeffer when he moved to England and settled in Bath as the husband of Lady Margaret Holroyd, which of his former associates sent the three men who inadvertently flushed him out of hiding and then tried to kill him. He has no trouble tracing the three to midlevel New York capo Michael Delamina, whom he kills on page two. In order to identify Delamina's boss, however, he has to consult his old nemesis, Elizabeth Waring of the Justice Department. Taking a leaf from Hannibal Lecter's??playbook, he urges her, "Tell me, and I'll tell you something." When Elizabeth fingers rising under-boss Frank Tosca as Schaeffer's next target, he gives her some juicy information on an old Tosca murder in return. But although "he had never failed to accomplish his goal when all it entailed was killing someone," her news comes too late to help. By the time Schaeffer kills Tosca, the ambitious under-boss has convened a sit-down in which his counterparts from across the country have agreed to join his vendetta against the Butcher's Boy-a goal Tosca's death only makes them more eager to pursue. For her part, Elizabeth is so determined to bring Schaeffer into the Witness Protection Program as the ultimate informant that she's willing offer him a series of unauthorized deals, which of course he spurns. Schaeffer is squeezed between two collective adversaries with virtually unlimited personnel and resources. On the other hand, only Schaeffer is the Butcher's Boy. Beneath the sky-high body count, the twisty plot is powered by Perry's relentless focus on the question of where the next threat is coming from and how to survive it.
Jon, Avondale

California - police officer dealing with ghosts who can do certain things
at certain times/locations- good read.

AUTHOR Dorst, Doug.
TITLE Alive in Necropolis / Doug Dorst.
PUBLISHER New York : Riverhead Books, c2008.
Booklist Reviews 2008 June #1
Headstones outnumber citizens in the sleepy California city of Colma, just south of San Francisco. Twenty-nine-year-old rookie cop Michael Mercer patrols the streets and cemeteries of this eerie enclave, where such legends as Joe DiMaggio and Wyatt Earp are buried and where the spirits of celebrities seem to materialize at will. But it's the real-time assault of privileged teenager Jude DiMaio (found drugged, bound, and naked in a burial area) that puts the neophyte officer to the test. Who would do such a thing, and why is DiMaio so reluctant to report the perpetrators? Meanwhile, Mercer has problems of his own. A romantic relationship with an older woman turns sour, and he seems to be drifting away from his cadre of college friends. He's also troubled by thoughts that a recently deceased officer lost his sanity toward the end, filing police reports about the offenses of residents long dead. Dorst's atmospheric if overlong debut is part mystery, part compelling account of an angst-ridden young man finding his way in the world. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.
Jon, Avondale

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Atta Olivia Clemens series: A Flame in Byzantium, Crusader's Torch, and A Candle for D'Artagnan. Epic historical vampire romance, what's not to like? And BIG kudos to BPL for being the only library in the county carrying all three. I've just put A Flame in Byzantium on hold.
Holley, Emmet O'Neal

Also, Laura Whitcomb's A Certain Slant of Light. She haunts them, rather benignly, until they die (though not causing the unfortunate event). This time around, it's an English teacher and she enjoys her days listening to his lectures until the day she notices that one boy in class actually sees her. This has never happened before since she became a ghost. Then he talks to her! Turns out he's a ghost too and has discovered that you can possess a body, someone who's just committed suicide. Now they have to find her a body. Love ensues.
Holley, Emmet O'Neal

RA Roundtable meeting reminder!

2011-10-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

We'll be meeting tomorrow morning (Wednesday, October 12) at 9am at the Springville Road Library located at 1224 Old Springville Rd, Birmingham, Alabama 35215-7512. Their telephone number is (205) 226-4081. We'll be discussing cross-genre romance and I am eager to see the variety of titles that Roundtable members will be bringing to the table!
Happy reading,
Holley

Weekly stats

2011-10-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Visits

Total ........................ 1,802
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:27
This Week ....................... 19

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,347
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.1
This Week ....................... 21

Rountable meets next week!

2011-10-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

Where: SPRINGVILLE ROAD LIBRARY (1224 Old Springville Rd 35215, 205-226-4081)
When: Wednesday, October 12 at 9am
What: Cross-genre Romance
Who: The Roundtablest with the mostest
Why: Because we're awesome

If you've got questions, I've most likely got answers! hwesley@bham.lib.al.us, 205-445-1117

Weekly blog stats

2011-09-29T12:43:00.001-07:00

Visits

Total ........................ 1,783
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:23
This Week ....................... 22

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,326
Average per Day .................. 5
Average per Visit .............. 1.6
This Week ....................... 36

weekly stats

2011-09-22T11:20:00.001-07:00

Visits

Total ........................ 1,761
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 1:33
This Week ....................... 19

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,290
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.1
This Week ....................... 21

weekly stats

2011-09-15T07:04:00.001-07:00

Visits

Total ........................ 1,743
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:10
This Week ....................... 22

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,270
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.0
This Week ....................... 23

weekly stats

2011-09-08T07:46:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,720
Average per Day .................. 4
Average Visit Length .......... 0:04
This Week ....................... 27

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,246
Average per Day .................. 4
Average per Visit .............. 1.1
This Week ....................... 31

weekly stats

2011-09-01T09:30:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,693
Average per Day .................. 8
Average Visit Length .......... 0:39
This Week ....................... 53

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,215
Average per Day .................. 9
Average per Visit .............. 1.2
This Week ....................... 63

JCPLA Staff Development Day notes

2011-08-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I thoroughly enjoyed the 2011 JCPLA Staff Development Day. I hope you attended as many sessions as you could and were able to take something valuable from each and every one. The RA option this year was a reboot of last year's "Opening Doors, Opening Books" program and I am sharing the results of our discussion here. We had a talkative and rowdy group of attendees, ready to share their knowledge and expertise with the group.

*In reference to our mini breakout discussion about apps, it is People magazine that puts a changing selection of 5 interesting smartphone apps on the back of each weekly issue.*

This program was a condensed version of reader’s advisory guru Nancy Pearl’s 2010 Public Library Association half-day preconference program. In order to effectively match up a reader with just the right book, it’s helpful to understand how to apply the concept of “doorways” in suggesting reading material. This session will focus on defining, identifying, and using doorways in RA interviews.

Nothing cements a library in a community like providing the connections that service gives and this is a service EVERYONE has the chance to excel at on a daily basis.

Whole library RA – don’t be afraid to recommend an audiobook or a video on a subject someone might like. Also, readers need to discover that they can have the same reading experience by taking books from different parts of the library, not just the same area they always visit (i.e. the patron who only reads one genre/author).

RA isn’t like a reference interview. In a RI, the capital of Peru is always Lima but a person’s reading interests change depending mood.

Don’t feel like you can only suggest books you’ve read, it’s impossible to remember every book much less the plot details of each one.

RA is not about us. The reader should never know our opinion about a book unless they ask for it.

It’s essential to make an effort to read books in areas we wouldn’t normally read, especially if those areas are popular in your library. We need to be willing to read anything. Even if we don’t like it we only need to read it long enough to be able to answer the question, “What kind of reader would like this book?” Read promiscuously

Provide three suggestions: one spot on, one similar, and a “reach” choice.

“suggest”, not “recommend” because “recommend” carries with it the subtle insinuation that the potential reader should have the very same experience with the book that you did.

Don’t ask what they like, but what they liked about it.

Invite the reader to come back and discuss the book with you.

The Doorways: Story, Character, Setting, and Language

Each book has all four but the difference is in the size of each doorway within the book.

These are the EXTREMELY on-the-fly notes I took via Google Documents while session participants fired titles at me! Please forgive the informality of it all!

STORY / PLOT

Possible display title: “Stories You May Not Have Heard”

The drive to know what happens next becomes the main motivation, “I stayed up all night, I just HAD to know what happened”, and “a real page-turner”

burnt mountain - anne rivers siddons
room - emma donoghue
abandon - blake crouch
escape - carolyn jessup
the millennium trilogy - steig larsson
crooked letter, crooked letter - tom franklin
laurie king - mary russell series
charlaine harris - southern vampires
daniel silva - gabriel allon series
adriana trigiani
anne rice
ranger’s apprentice - flanagann
hunger games
city of bones trilogy
charles dickens

CHARACTER

Possible display title: “People You Ought To Meet”

“I felt like I knew him/her”, “That was my family”, “I know people like that”

Is the main character named or described in the title? This MIGHT be an indication of a character-drive book.

glass castle
garden spells
prince of frogtown
art of racing in the rain
snow flower and the secret fan
winter’s bone
rutherford - new york
the haunting of hill house - shirley jackson
we have always lived in the castle - shirley jackson
never let me go
the house next door
freedom - jonathan franzen
the book thief - markus zusak
song of ice and fire - george r.r. martin
patricia cornwell
alexander mccall smith
philippa gregory
sandra gulland
lonely polygamist - brady udall

SETTING

Possible display title: “Places You Should Go”

“This book just brought this place to life”, “I felt like I’d been there”, “I could see it clearly in my mind’s eye”

Is the place name in the title? This MIGHT be an indication of a setting-driven book.

SF/F world building makes great setting portals, westerns, dystopian fictions, Scandinavian mysteries, any sort of regional/ethnic literature (why do we like Southern literature so much?),

james michener
anne george
pat conroy
sci-fi/fantasy
westerns
southern literature
low country fiction
jan karon’s new book
peter mayle
frances mayes
anna and the french kiss
snow flower and the secret fan
night
day in the life ivan dnisovitch
kite runner
thousand spelndid suns
swan - frances mayes
the worst hard time - timogh egan
the falls - joyce carol aotes
robert mccammon
geraldine brooks

LANGUAGE

Built in lists in the literary awards: Pulitzer Prize, Man Booker Awards, Orange Prize, National Book Awards, etc.

Usually “the classics”, more literary, sometimes require more effort to read and get into, frequently feature complex plotting and potentially confusing viewpoints

geraldine brooks
gabriel garcia marquez
moby dick - herman melville
wolf hall - hilary mantel
w. somerset maughwayam
ernest hemingway
raymond carver
daniel woodrell
per petterson
jonah leher
murakami
irene nemirovsky
tom robbins
jonah lehrer
comedy / humor
david sedaris
lewis grizzard
erma bombeck
dave barry
lane smith
jon sczeska
kate dicamillo
shell silverstein

What have we missed? What authors/books would you add to the list in each category?

Happy reading!
Holley

is it a map or a cloud?

2011-08-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

whatever you call it, Gnook is readalicious and all you have to do to get started is type in an author's name and watch the clouds brew....

http://www.gnooks.com/

Happy reading!
htw

weekly stats

2011-08-25T09:46:00.001-07:00

- -- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,640
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 0:10
This Week ....................... 15

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,152
Average per Day .................. 2
Average per Visit .............. 1.1
This Week ....................... 17

weekly stats

2011-08-11T07:13:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,605
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:14
This Week ....................... 21

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,105
Average per Day .................. 4
Average per Visit .............. 1.5
This Week ....................... 31

Award-winners

2011-08-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

We have a handful of meeting location changes. Our next meeting on Wednesday, October 12th (cross-genre romance) will hit the road, literally! We’ll be meeting at the Springville Road Library! It’s pretty far out on the calendar at this point, but make note that our February 8, 2012 meeting will be held at the new Pinson Library! Finally, and farthest out on your planning calendar, I am in negotiations to have our December 12, 2012 meeting in the Southern History department at the Birmingham Public Library downtown so that we may also view their local/historical cookbook collection!

Here are the meeting topics for 2012, look for exact dates in the sidebar!

February – Debut Novels

April – Cowboys vs. Aliens (westerns and/or science fiction)

June – Beach Reads

August – Young Adult

October – Audiobooks

December – Cookbook Potluck (bring a cookbook AND make a recipe!)

The following is an alphabetical list of the awards won by the books we discussed today.

California Book Award for Young Adult Literature

Committee Young Adults' Choices

Commonwealth Writers' Prize

Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers

Hugo Award

Indigo Books Heather's Pick

International Reading Association (IRA) Literature for Young Adults

Irish Book Award

James Beard Foundation Award for Healthy Focus

Man Booker Prize

National Book Award

New York Times Best Books of the Year

New York Times Notable Book of the Year

Publisher's Weekly Listen Up Award

Pulitzer Prize

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize

Salon Book Award

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults

YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

YALSA Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon
(Hugo Award for Best Novel, 2008)
Michael Chabon, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, comes up trumps again with The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, winner of the 2008 Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. In this alternative history, the Jewish Homeland is not in Israel but in the Sitka district of Alaska. However, it has only been a temporary homeland; control of the district is about to be handed over to Alaska once more, leaving the Jewish refugees fearful for their futures. In the midst of this uneasy atmosphere, detective Meyer Landsman takes on a baffling homicide case that has occurred in the hotel where he drags out his days guzzling alcohol, missing his estranged wife, and reflecting on how “these are strange times to be a Jew.” It seems he is the only one who wants to solve the murder; the word from his higher-ups is to close the case at once. But Landsman persists, determined to do one thing right in a life that has gone completely wrong. Part speculative fiction, part hard-boiled detective novel, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union is an outstanding achievement in plot and style. Reminiscent of the noir worlds of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, Chabon’s nod to the pulps takes nothing away from his unique narrative voice. The world-building is solid and readers may find themselves tempted to check a map of Alaska to see if the Jewish district really exists there. Mazel tov to Chabon for the creation of an excellent read.
Mary Anne, Southern History

Prior to the Hugo for The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, Chabon won a Pulitzer for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Critics argued that those awards would not have been awarded the other way around. The chances are slim Chabon would have been considered for the Pulitzer if he’d won the Hugo first.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
(2010 Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers, YALSA 2008 Best Books for Young Adults, YALSA 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, YALSA 2008 Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults, The International Reading Association (IRA) Literature for Young Adults Committee Young Adults' Choices 2009, 2007 California Book Award for Young Adult Literature)
Clay Jensen comes home from high school to find a package on his porch, addressed to him with no return address. Inside, there are seven audio cassette tapes. When he plays the first tape, he is astounded to hear the voice of Hannah Baker—a girl from his school who recently committed suicide. He wonders if this is some kind of strange suicide message, but then hears the following: “I hope you’re ready, because I’m about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you’re listening to these tapes, you’re one of the reasons why.” She further instructs that he is to listen to the tapes and then pass them on to the next person, that’s he’s being watched, and if the tapes are not forwarded, a copy will be released to the public. What follows is an excruciating narration of the destruction of a young girl’s life, interspersed with Clay’s reaction to each part of it. Hannah is not being vindictive. She just wants people to realize that no one knows the affect they may have on another person and how easily the most innocuous remark or action can contribute to pushing someone over the edge. This book switches from Hannah’s voice to Clay’s as he listens and then fits what she is saying into his memories. A movie is being made from the book, and Selena Gomez has been cast as Hannah.
Kelly, Springville Road

The audiobook for Thirteen Reasons Why is very highly regarded. There are two narrators for the separate parts of the book and, as you can see, it was a YALSA Selected Audiobook in 2008. The movie adaptation is in development and expected in theaters, according to IMDB, in 2013. April mentioned that Jay Asher is an excellent acquaintance to make on Facebook!

The Simple Art of Eating Well Cookbook: 400 Easy Recipes, Tips and Techniques for Delicious, Healthy Meals by Jessie Price & the EatingWell test kitchen
(The James Beard Foundation Award for Healthy Focus, 2011)
Gina, Gardendale

A flurry of foodie talk erupted at this point. We discussed how cookbooks have changed over the years from simple self-help to visually stunning volumes works of biography and local history.

Some very interesting stories may be found in books such as:

Fannie Flagg's original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook : Featuring Fried Green Tomatoes, Southern Barbecue, Banana Split Cake, and Many Other Great Recipes by Fannie Flagg; with recipes from the Irondale Cafe.

Southern Country Cooking from the Loveless Cafe: Hot Biscuits, Country Ham by Jane & Michael Stern (There is a new Loveless Café dessert cookbook coming out in September, Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe: Simple Southern Pies, Puddings, Cakes, and Cobblers from Nashville's Landmark Restaurant by Alisa Huntsman, 978-1579654344, $24.95)

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond

Aunt Bee's Mealtime in Mayberry by Jim Clark and Ken Beck

White Trash Cooking by Ernest Matthew Mickler

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes to Knickerbocker Glory--More Than 150 Magical Recipes for Muggles and Wizards by Dinah Bucholz

On the fun side, there are many blogs devoted to food and food culture. Here are the three that came up in discussion:

The Inn at the Crossroads
“In the Game of Food, you win, or you wash the dishes…”
From the blog:
“We are two big fans of George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series. We are also fans of food. What, then, would be more natural than to combine them into one fabulous blog? In the coming months, we will be delving deep into the world of Westeros and far over the Narrow Sea to explore the mouthwatering cuisines favored by the fantastic cultures in the books. Where appropriate, some recipes will be two-fold: A modern recipe, and a traditional recipe more in keeping with the quasi-medieval world of the series. So loosen your belts, sharpen your knives, and whet your palate for the foods of Westeros…”

The Gallery of Regrettable Food
From the blog:
“What were they thinking? How did they eat this bilge? Good questions, but you won't find them answered here. This is a simple introduction to poorly photographed foodstuffs and horrid recipes. It's a wonder anyone in the 40s, 50s and 60s gained any weight; it's a miracle that people didn't put down their issue of Life magazine with a slight queasy list to their gut, and decide to sup on a nice bowl of shredded wheat and nothing else.”

Cake Wrecks
“When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong”

Did you know that the Southern History department at the Birmingham Public Library downtown collects local/historical cookbooks? Me either! Road trip!

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
(Bram Stoker Award for Fiction Collection, 2010)
Mondretta, Leeds

Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny (first in the series is Still Life)
(Agatha Award for Best Novel, 2010)
Shannon, Hoover

The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames
(Agatha Award for Best First Novel, 2010)
Beth, Homewood

If you are a fan of mystery or you are the favorite librarian of someone who is, bookmark the following websites! They are timesavers and easy peasy ways to put together interesting displays!

Stop, You’re Killing Me
“Stop, You’re Killing Me! is a resource for lovers of mystery, crime, thriller, spy, and suspense books. We list over 3,600 authors, with chronological lists of their books (over 41,000 titles), both series (4,100+) and non-series. Use the alphabetical author and character links above or the special indexes in the left column. And it’s perfectly fine with us if you print our pages for your private use, especially for a trip to your local library or bookstore.”

Berkley Prime Crime

Cozy Mystery List
A Guide to Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books and DVDs

So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
(National Book Award, 2010 Finalist)
April, Pinson

April mentioned that Shriver’s other book, We Need to Talk About Kevin, will be out in theaters later this year.

Room by Emma Donoghue
(longlisted for the 2011 Orange Prize, won the 2011 Commonwealth Writers' Prize regional prize, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2010 and was shortlisted for the 2010 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize[4] and the 2010 Governor General's Awards, Indigo Books Heather's Pick (2010), New York Times Best Books of the Year (2010), New York Times Notable Book of the Year (Fiction & Poetry, 2010), Salon Book Award (Fiction, 2010), Alex Award (2011), Publisher's Weekly Listen Up Award (Audio Book of the Year, 2010), ALA Notable Book (2011), Irish Book Award (Novel, 2010)
Susan, Trussville

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Nora Neale Hurston
(Audio Publishers Association Audie Award for Solo Narration-Female, 2001)
I consider Janie Crawford to be one of the strongest, most independent female characters I’ve ever encountered. Even during those times when she is dependent on someone else, she is, to paraphrase, living entirely between her hat and her toes, keeping her own counsel, dreaming her own dreams. She suffers through loveless marriage and through too much loving, poverty, constant discrimination, and tragedy, yet she continues on, beating the odds. The language is beautiful already, but Ruby Dee’s narration bumps it up into transcendence!
Holley, Emmet O’Neal

What are YOU reading?

Meeting Reminder

2011-08-09T12:46:00.001-07:00

We are meeting tomorrow morning at 9 am to discuss award winners! If you are bringing a book or books to the meeting, please also bring a brief description of the award your books have won!

Weekly stats

2011-07-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,573
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 1:39
This Week ....................... 16

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,060
Average per Day .................. 4
Average per Visit .............. 1.7
This Week ....................... 27

weekly stats

2011-07-21T08:52:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,557
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 1:16
This Week ....................... 12

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,033
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.5
This Week ....................... 18

weekly stats

2011-07-14T07:33:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,545
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 0:38
This Week ....................... 17

Page Views

Total ........................ 2,015
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.2
This Week ....................... 21

weekly stats

2011-07-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,528
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 0:14
This Week ....................... 12

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,994
Average per Day .................. 2
Average per Visit .............. 1.2
This Week ....................... 14

weekly stats

2011-06-22T14:23:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,495
Average per Day .................. 9
Average Visit Length .......... 0:55
This Week ....................... 61

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,939
Average per Day ................. 10
Average per Visit .............. 1.1
This Week ....................... 69

Fiction of Choice

2011-06-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

Our next meeting is Wednesday, August 10th and the topic is award winners! Please bring a brief description of the award your selection has won and don't be afraid to reach for any obscure awards. I look forward to seeing what you select!

Our topic this time around was Fiction of Choice and the variety was astounding! Read on and see!

Holley, Emmet O'Neal
The Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley
The books, in order of publication, are: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, and A Red Herring Without Mustard.
Calling the heroine of this wonderful cozy series precocious is a massive understatement. Chemist savant, amateur detective, partial Cinderella, and bratty little sister combine to give you 11-year-old Flavia de Luce. The rambling old de Luce country house resides in the tiny English town of Bishop's Lacey and seems to have not held much interest for Flavia up to this point. However, one dead man in the cucumber patch later, things are hopping and Flavia, dashing about on her trusty bicycle Gladys, is on the case whether the local constable knows it or not! These delightful books, while clean and safe for many younger readers, are published for adults.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Major Pettigrew, a widower in his 60's, has just learned of his brother's death. Staggered, stunned, and greiving, he answers the knock at the door and discovers Mrs. Ali demanding the paper boy's wages. Mrs. Ali quickly recognizes shock and grief when she sees it and hustles in to make him some of the fine tea which Major Pettigrew has purchased at her very own tea shop. From this sweet first meeting, an intense relationship emerges that will test the resolve of the Major, the town, and the power of love. I absolutely adored this debut novel and have been telling everyone who will stand still long enough to listen that I wish Major Pettigrew were 30 years younger or I was 30 years older!

The Beauty Killer series by Chelsea Cain
The books, in order of publication, are: Heartsick, Sweetheart, Evil at Heart, and The Night Season.
On one hand, you have Gretchen Lowell: staggeringly beautiful, boundlessly cruel, brutally psychotic. On the other, Archie Sheridan: broken, holding on to the fragile shreds of sanity Gretchen left him, and a raging Vicodin addict. In the middle are the murder victims Archie knows Gretchen couldn't actually have killed as she's finally behind bars...isn't she? Intrepid reporter Susan Ward falls into the mix seeking the truth behind the Beauty Killer's relationship with Archie and just how he brought her to justice. It may be the truth she's after, but trouble (and terror!) are what she gets. Not a safe bet for sensitive readers.

I mentioned that Archie really reminds me of Dr. Gregory House, Hugh Laurie's character on the popular tv show House and this brought our discussion around to another tv show with a flawed, yet brilliant detective: the new BBC miniseries Sherlock, a 21st century adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's series.

Mary Ann, Southern History
The Seven Per Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer
The West End Horror by Nicholas Meyer
Prisoner of the Devil by Michael Hardwick
The Revenge of the Hound by Michael Hardwick
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie King (Mary Russell series)

Kelly, Springville Road
My Brother Michael by Janis Owens (the two other books in the trilogy are Myra Sims and The Schooling of Claybird Catts)

Shannon, Hoover
The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew
The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg
The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg

Ramona, Leeds
A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber

Mary, Emmet O'Neal
Through a Glass Darkly by Donna Leon
One of a series of Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries, set in Venice where Leon, an American, has lived for many years. A relaxing contemporary whodunit with elements of culture and politics. This is the first of the series that I have read, and I look forward to reading more of them.

The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney
As Booklist succinctly puts it, this novel “…combines the charm of an Irish yarn with the excitement of a political thriller and the romance of a1940s war movie.”

Leslie, Vestavia
Room by Emma Donoghue
Room is based on an original, arresting, thought-provoking premise. It's narrated by a five year old boy (Jack), who has spent his entire life living inside a small room where he and his mother are held prisoner. His mother was abducted at the age of 19 and has been repeatedly raped: Jack being born some 2 years later. Jack's mother is frequently depressed and desperate to escape. However she has protected Jack from the realities of their situation and one of the book's central ideas is that when you know no better, you always think the world that you live in is normal and it will still represent home to you. Having a child narrate the book is very clever in many ways. Jack is oblivious to the heroic efforts that his mother makes to protect and entertain him, but these are obvious to the reader. However he never really worked as a narrator for me. He starts the book speaking in quite broken English but quickly leaves that affectation behind. I realize that he was meant to be a highly developed child in some areas while very behind in others. But I couldn't reconcile a child who knew words like omnivore, nutritional and antenna and then at other times would describe something as "the hurtest". These inconsistencies kept interrupting the flow of the book for me. There were also times when I would like to have been given a better insight into the reasons for his mother's actions, which the choice of narrator made impossible. It's a story with two distinct acts, punctuated by a nerve-wracking section in the middle. I felt that the story loses momentum in the second half of the book, petering out towards the end. This is one of those books that sucks you into its world and makes you reconsider your own. It's a quick read that's highly absorbing. I can understand why so many people think that it's brilliant, but I only found it good, not great.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject--in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger's--not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect--can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. For his mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder? Emotionally powerful in that House Rules looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way--and fails those who don't. My biggest problem with this book is that it could have used a good editing…….too much excess detail detracted from the major plot line and lead to “reader fatigue.”

The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry
Brunonia Barry, the New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader, offers an emotionally compelling novel about finding your true place in the world. Zee Finch has come a long way from a motherless childhood. She's now a respected psychotherapist about to marry one of Boston's most eligible bachelors. But the suicide of Zee's patient Lilly throws Zee into emotional chaos and takes her back to places she though she'd left behind. What starts as a brief visit home to Salem after Lilly's funeral becomes the beginning of a larger journey for Zee. Her father, Finch, long ago diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, has been hiding how sick he really is. His longtime companion, Melville, has moved out, and it now falls to Zee to help her father through this difficult time. Their relationship, marked by half-truths and the untimely death of her mother, is strained and awkward. Overwhelmed by her new role, and uncertain about her future, Zee destroys the existing map of her life and begins a new journey, one that will take her not only into her future but into her past as well.

Mondretta, Leeds
Last Light by Terri Blackstock
Light Source by Bari Wood
The Insane Train by Sheldon Russell

Beth, Homewood
Sister Chicks in Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn
Jenna and Sue are sisters in law that really like each other. They travel to Venice to cook for a group of men who are there on retreat. When not planning the meals and shopping for the ingredients they are tasting many of the gelato flavors and exploring Venice. Everything they do is an adventure for them, including the cooking and serving. They unexpectedly have aha moments while in this very lovely and romantic of settings. It is a good read and a refreshing story about relationships and being available for aha moments.

Maria by Eugenia Price
I read and enjoyed this Florida trilogy years ago and decided it time to read it again. Maria is the first title. Maria and her British husband move to St. Augustine which has been under Spanish control but is changing over to British rule. She is a midwife by profession and he is a military man. The descriptions of the natural environment, plants and topography as well as architecture make it worth reading the book. As she tells about the characters, their lives and surroundings it is easy to feel you are there. How Maria lives and deals with the many changes in her life is the story. She is a strong woman who is smart and surrounds herself with people who are her friends and people who can help her grow. Reading this trilogy gave me a desire to see St. Augustine and the nearby area.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
I enjoyed reading this first title in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series. Hannah owns the Cookie Jar- bakery and coffee shop. She has always been good with baking and even developing recipes for cookies so her job is just perfect for her. Her brother in law, Bill, is police chief of Lake Eden, a small town in Minnesota. When Ron was killed very near her shop and shortly before he was to make a delivery to the Cookie Jar, Hannah was shocked and saddened. Then curious and also concerned that they actually had a murderer on the loose in their quiet little town. Bill asked her to help him investigate the crime but don't let anyone know she was snooping around. As she considered the possible motives and people involved she proceeded to make inquiries. Hopefully the guilty party would not realize what she was doing or her life would also be in jeopardy. Before all was done Hannah had enlisted the help of Bill's wife and the man she found was really funny, Norman the dentist. Of course, free cookies were given to everyone she would "visit" and all who helped her. I learned I can read the story without reading the enticing recipes and getting too hungry. I will continue with this series and see what Hannah cooks up next.

Beth mentioned a couple of great websites for mystery fans: stopyourekillingme.com and cozy-mystery.com

Jon, Avondale
Pump Six, and Other Stories by Paulo Bacigalupi
Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear
Hollywood Hills by Joseph Wambaugh
The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster
Ashes of the Earth by Eliot Pattison
Dead Zero by Stephen Hunter
The Passage by Justin Cronin (Jon said this was one of the best books he'd ever read, on par with (and possibly better than!!) Stephen King's The Stand and Salem's Lot!)

Now, what are YOU reading?

Project Read One Book

2011-06-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

Via project coordinator April Wallace:

Project Read programs just wrapped up for the Spring 2011 selection. Thank
you to all of the libraries who were able to participate. There were a lot
of really creative programs! I know our book group really enjoy meeting
at the Irondale Cafe.

I want to remind everyone to keep PROB in mind when planning your fall
programming. Our fall selection is Leaving Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham.
This is technically a Young Adult title, so programming could be geared
towards adults or teens. Libraries could possibly collaborate with area
schools, as well.

Program Ideas for Leaving Gee’s Bend:
- Show the documentary “The Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend”
- Quilting programs

The author has several downloadable tools (Gee’s Bend Discussion Guide,
Literature Circle Questions, Activities) on her website
(http://www.irenelatham.com).

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks,
April

You may reach April at: adeaton [at] bham [dot] lib [dot] al [dot] us

Weekly blog stats

2011-06-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,434
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:27
This Week ....................... 20

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,870
Average per Day .................. 4
Average per Visit .............. 1.3
This Week ....................... 25

Meeting this week!

2011-06-06T08:39:00.001-07:00

Fiction of Choice

Wednesday June 8th

9am

Emmet O'Neal Library

:-)

Meeting Reminder

2011-05-31T12:03:00.001-07:00

RA Roundtable will meet at Emmet O'Neal Library next Wednesday, June 8th at 9am to discuss Fiction of Choice!

weekly stats

2011-05-26T07:45:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,401
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 0:02
This Week ....................... 11

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,832
Average per Day .................. 2
Average per Visit .............. 1.2
This Week ....................... 13

Weekly stats

2011-05-19T07:18:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,389
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 0:16
This Week ....................... 15

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,818
Average per Day .................. 3
Average per Visit .............. 1.3
This Week ....................... 19

Weekly stats

2011-05-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,374
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 2:04
This Week ....................... 19

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,799
Average per Day .................. 4
Average per Visit .............. 1.3
This Week ....................... 25

Weekly blog stats

2011-04-28T07:36:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,341
Average per Day .................. 3
Average Visit Length .......... 0:31
This Week ....................... 24

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,755
Average per Day .................. 4
Average per Visit .............. 1.3
This Week ....................... 30

Weekly blog stats

2011-04-23T08:09:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,317
Average per Day ................. 14
Average Visit Length .......... 2:25
This Week ....................... 95

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,725
Average per Day ................. 19
Average per Visit .............. 1.4
This Week ...................... 133

Graphic Novels

2011-04-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

Wow! We needed to have had a court reporter today with the amount of information flying around! I tried to get it all written down, but please let me know if you remember something from the meeting that didn't make its way here to this list!

The overarching theme to the advice we received seemed to be, “Choose...but choose wisely.” The bright, vivid colors and cartoonish characters, especially with the manga, often mislead the average browser into thinking these materials are for children and this is NOT always the case. Read the reviews for this material carefully to make sure the books and anime are being catalogued and shelved in the appropriate section of your library.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, June 8th at 9am at Emmet O'Neal Library for Fiction of Choice.

If you run a book group or your library sponsors one and would like it to be added to the RART blog sidebar item, send me an email with the meeting dates, times, and selections. We started this feature so that book group moderators might have a place and a means for assistance in selecting book group choices so that everyone is not reading the same book at the same time if multiple copies are not available in supportive numbers. Also, if you know of an author available for speaking engagements or other programs, send me contact information and I will post it on the blog so that it will be available to all.

Our roundtable is responsible for a program at the JCPLA Staff Development Day on Friday, August 26, 2011. Any program ideas and/or suggestions are welcome and appreciated! What sort of RA program sessions would YOU attend? What sort of questions/problems crop up day to day in your RA work? Let me know!

Jared's recent Flash Fiction program at Hoover was a lively meet indeed! Have a look at the video and consider joining the group!

Flash Fiction - Open Mike Night 2011 from Hoover Library on Vimeo.

Jared, BPL
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud (Several people in the group said this is an essential purchase for all libraries! $22.99, 978-0060976255)
I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and J. M. Ken Niimura
Solomon Kane by Robert Ervin Howard
Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn, Pia Guerra, and various
The Rocketeer by Dave Stevens
Magnus, Robot Fighter by Russ Manning, Robert Schaefer and Eric Friewald
Starman by Jack Burnley and various
Powerman & Iron Fist by Chris Claremont and various

Jared also prepared an excellent handout about comics/graphic novels in general with a glossary, timeline, and list of important writers and artists to know. I placed the document in a separate blog post, so click here to appreciate Jared’s research for yourself!

Maya, West End
Vampire Knight by Matsuri Hino

(ADULT) At the Cross Academy, students of the Day Class are human and students of the Night Class are vampires. As a Guardian of the Day Class, Yuki helps protect them from the denizens of the Night Class.

Skip Beat by Yoshiki Nakamura
Aria by Kozue Amano

(ADULT) Sci-Fi shojo (girl) manga about a futuristic water world that recreates Venice and its canals. They even have gondoliers who are the main characters in this funny, feel good manga.

Blood+ by Asuka Katsura
Alice in the Country of Hearts by QuinRose and Hoshino Soumei
Otomen by Aya Kanno

(TEEN) Tomboy, Ryo Miyakozuka admires tough guy, Asuka Masamune and wants to learn from him. There’s one problem, Asuka is not nearly as tough as he appears, he likes to cook, sew and read shojo manga.

Biomega by Tsutomu Nihei

(ADULT) Futuristic world where a zombie virus has laid waste to the human population. Zombies have taken over (does this sound familiar?...) Mankind’s only hope is a hero who’s not human and a girl who may or may not be the cure for the plague.

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit by Motoro Mase

(ADULT) Japan wants to have a prosperious and productive society and in order to achieve this people have to die. In this dark manga, every citizen is inoculated with a nano device that could kill them between the ages of 18-24. Citizens’ names are placed in a lottery and their fate is decided. They are notified, of their fate, by an Ikigami 24 hours before their death.

Black Lagoon by Rei Hiroe

(ADULT) Black Lagoon is gritty and hardcore. Japanese salaryman, Rock, can never go home again. He’s been betrayed by the coporation he worked for and finds himself destitute in one of the most dangerous Southeast Asian cities, Roanapur. Rock becomes the fourth man of a mercenary team. Will this former accountant manage to stay alive?

Black Bird by Kanoko Sakurakoji

(ADULT) Misao Harada is the bride of prophecy. Destined to be the wife of whichever demon clan claims her. She’s in a fight for her life; some demons just want her blood, others want to eat her. How will Misao stay alive?

Deadman Wonderland by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou

(ADULT) Middle school student Ganta Igarashi is accused and convicted of being a mass murderer and is sent to Deadman Wonderland prison. He’s innocent but can’t prove it. The prisoners in Deadman Wonderland are injected with poison and must take an antidote, called “candy” everyday or they die. The only way to get “candy” is to fight and kill other prisoners.

Chocomimi by Konami Sonoda

(CHILDREN) Best friends Choco and Mimi get into all kinds of trouble but they do it with style.

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya
Heaven’s Will by Satoru Takamiya
Cirque Du Freak: The Manga by Darren Shan and Takahiro Arai

(TEEN) Manga adaptation of Darren Shan’s Cirque Du Freak series of novels.

Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo by Matsuri Akino

(ADULT) Count D, from Pet Shop of Horrors, opens a new pet store in Tokyo. This strange pet shop owner never ages and is very particular about his customers. When one purchases a pet at his store, a contract must be signed and woe to anyone who breaks the contract. This manga is reminiscent of Xxxholic.

Kyo Kara Maoh by Tomo Takabayashi and Temari Matsumoto

(TEEN) While being bullied by his classmates, Yuri Shibuya discovers a world where he is the king, the “Demon” king. As King, Yuri is expected to lead his people in a war against humans.

The Story of Saiunkoku by Yukino Sai and Yura Kairi

(TEEN) Impoverished noblewoman, Shurei Hong, becomes the consort of the Emperor Ryuki. Will she be able to encourage her husband to govern the empire instead of his advisors?

Love.com by Aya Nakahara

(TEEN) Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in the school and Atushi Otani is the shortest boy in school. Will a romance develop?

Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto
The Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Claudia Campos
(ADULTS) The manga adaptation of the Kenyon's Dark Hunter series of novels.
Special A by Maki Minami and Nancy Thistlethwaite

(TEEN) Hakari wants to be number one in her class. The problem? Kei Takishima is always number one.

Maximum Ride: The Manga by James Patterson and NaRae Lee

(TEEN) Manga adaptation of James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series of novels.

Me & My Brothers by Hari Tokeino

(TEEN) Orphaned twice, fourteen-year-old Sakura believes she has no one to care for her. When her four long lost, older brothers enter the scene, life will never be the same.

Otaku USA (periodical)
ICv2 Internal Correspondence (periodical)
Shonen Jump (periodical)

In addition to two teetering stacks of titles to share with the group, Maya also shared a list of review and information sites for manga and graphic novels:

ICv2: Inside Pop Culture Online Newsletter
Diamond Comic Distributors Inc.
Comics Worth Reading
Anime News Network
Bookletters: Graphic Novels BPL
Graphic Novel Reporter
Grovel Graphic Novel Reviews
Comic Book Resources
Newsarama
Bleeding Cool

Mary Ann, Southern History
The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon and Hoang Nguyen

(Adult) This graphic novel covers the Diana Gabaldon novel Outlander up to the point at which Claire reveals her secret to Jamie: that she is a woman of the twentieth century who has accidentally traveled back to the eighteenth century through a time gateway in a ring of standing stones. Claire, who has struggled over whether to try and return to her own time, finally decides to stay with Jamie in the past, but as anyone who has read Galbaldon’s novels can tell you, this is only the beginning of their troubles and adventures. The Exile will doubtless appeal to fans who have already read Gabaldon’s novels but could also be an excellent introduction to the Outlander series; it’s entertaining to see this artist’s interpretations of what the characters look like (and read the endless arguments about this among the fans on various review sites). The Exile earns its adult rating for depictions of sex and violence, women in exceedingly low-cut gowns, and Scotsmen running about with nothing under their kilts---or sometimes no kilt at all.

The Best of Ray Bradbury: The Graphic Novel by Ray Bradbury and various
(Older Teen and Adult) This feast of a graphic novel presents twelve of Ray Bradbury’s best-known stories illustrated by art ranging from stark minimalism to saturated color to almost photographic-quality realism. Every story is excellent, but my standouts were “Come Into My Cellar,” illustrated by Dave Gibbons of Watchmen fame (earth is being invaded---by mushrooms!); “Picasso Summer,” with art by John Van Fleet (Picasso drawing in the sand on the beach---take some photographs quickly); “The Fog Horn,” with illustrations by Wayne Barlowe (the story that inspired the Ray Harryhausen film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms), and “A Sound of Thunder” with art by Richard Corben (whatever you do, don’t step off the path). Known for rich imagery, Bradbury’s stories lend themselves well to the graphic novel format, and Bradbury himself acknowledges his debt to “comic strips, comic books, and the creators of comics” in his moving introduction to the collection. This is a must for Bradbury fans, though all of them would clamor for more stories that should have been included. This is shelved in the adult section due to some scenes of violence and disturbing imagery, but would be suitable for older teens as well.
Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, Howard Zimmerman, and Dennis Calero (7-19-11, $30.00, 9780809067930)
Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury and Ron Wimberly (7-19-11, $30.00, 9780809087464)
Kill Shakespeare: A Sea of Troubles by Connor McCreery and various
(Adult) The cover blurb says it best: “This dark take on the Bard pits his greatest heroes (Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Falstaff) against his most menacing villains (Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Iago) in an epic adventure to find and kill a reclusive wizard named William Shakespeare.” My first reaction was “Greatest heroes? Falstaff?!” But I was certainly intrigued enough to take a look and was drawn in from the very first page. Though populated by Shakespeare’s characters, this universe differs greatly from that of Shakespeare’s plays: Falstaff does come across as braver than his stage counterpart, though still fond of his booze, snacks, and women; Juliet is the leader of a revolutionary faction, and Hamlet is hailed as the “Shadow King” who supposedly will free the characters from the tyranny of the mysterious William Shakespeare. Other things, however, have not changed: Hamlet can’t make up his mind what to do; no one should believe one syllable spoken by Iago without confirmation from a trustworthy source, and Richard III is even more of a homicidal Machiavel than the dark Plantagenet of the theatre. The adult rating is for a brutal array of violence including battle scenes, eye-gouging, and tongue-slicing---but if you have teens who are already interested in Shakespeare, you won’t be able to keep them away from this intriguing and darkly comic spin on the Bard. Highly recommended.
Will Super Villains Be On the Final?: Liberty Vocational By Naomi Novik and Yishan Li (4-26-11, $10.99, 978-0345516565)

Check out NPR Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan’s interview with Connor McCreery and Anthony del Col, author and illustrator of Kill Shakespeare.

Jon, Avondale
Locke & Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son.)
Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs and various (based on Patricia Briggs book series)
Modern Warfare 2: Ghost by David Lapham and Federicco Dallocchio (based on the Call of Duty video game)
Preacher: Proud Americans by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and various

Maya, West End
Ooku: The Inner Chambers by Fumi Yoshinaga

Patrick, Leeds
Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas (Marvel Spotlight, not an ideal edition as the entirety is broken up and published in small, hardcover issues at a higher price)
Great Expectations: The Graphic Novel by Charles Dickens (abridged)
Kare Kano: His and Hers Circumstances by Masami Tsuda
Peach Girl by Miwa Ueda
Gale offers some classic novels in graphic novel form, check their website.

April, Irondale
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri and Randy DuBurke
The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger
Blankets: An Illustrated Novel by Craig Thompson
Vietnamerica: A Family’s Journey by G.B. Tran

Holley, Emmet O’Neal
30 Days of Night by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith
The tiny of Barrow, Alaska has unknowingly rung the vampire dinner bell. Due to their global position, the sun will soon set in Barrow and not rise again for 30 days and nights. With the darkness come the hungry vampires and the only thing standing between the town and a complete and bloody annihilation are the beleaguered Sherriff and Deputy, a husband and wife team desperate to save the people of Barrow. Full color, with gore and strong language.

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, and Cliff Rathburn
Police Officer Rick Grimes awakens from a gunshot-induced coma to discover an abandoned world...abandoned by everyone alive, that is. The tension ramps up immediately as Grimes, weak and practically defenseless, stumbles into the zombie horde that seems to be the only thing left. His one thought is to get to the last known location of his wife and son to see if they’ve survived. Madness, chaos, drama, love, sex, death, and redemption follow. Gore, strong language, and sexual situations.

The Walking Dead was adapted for a miniseries which debuted last year on Halloween night on AMT. Jason (Trussville) let the group know that Stephen King is in talks with the producers about working on the second season, set to premiere, as the first season did, on Halloween night!

Generel discussion brought up Invincible by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley.
(Amazon product description: Mark Grayson is just like most everyone else his age. The only major difference being that his dad is the most powerful superhero on the planet! And, Mark seems to be inheriting his father's powers! See Mark thwart super-villains, alien invasions and all sorts of craziness, as he gets the hang of all this super-heroing stuff.)

Jared, BPL
Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, Volume 1: The Journey Begins by Stephen King, Robin Furth, Peter David, Sean Phillips, and Richard Isanove
American Vampire by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquereque

Leigh Wilson, North Birmingham
Babymouse: Monster Mash by Jennifer L. Holm and Matt Holm
Princess Candy: Sugar Hero by Michael Dahl and Jeff Crowther
The Boxcar Children Graphic Novels by Shannon Eric Denton, Gertrude Chandler Warner, and Mike Dubisch

Shannon Haddock, Hoover
Locke & Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son.)
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Keep in mind that several movies have come out recently, or will be coming out soon, which are based on comic books/graphic novels. Now is the perfect time to stock your shelves!

I’m not certain of the authenticity of this list since the dates are off for more than a few, but it’s entertaining to contemplate! Click through for yet another list from Den of Geek!

2011
• Jan 14 - The Green Hornet
• Mar 4 - Priest
• May 6 - Thor
• Jun 3 - X-Men: First Class
• Jun 17 - Green Lantern
• Jul 1 - Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• Jul 22 - Captain America: The First Avenger
• Jul 29 - Cowboys and Aliens
• Aug 19 - Conan
2012
• Feb 17 - Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
• May 4 - The Avengers
• Jul 3 - Spider-Man Reboot
• Jul 20 - Batman: The Dark Knight Rises
2013
• May 3 - Iron Man 3
Release Dates Unknown
• Deadpool
• Sin City 2
• Superman Reboot
• Judge Dredd
• Runaways
• Ant-Man
• Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall
• Wanted 2
• Wolverine 2
• Green Lantern 2
• Preacher

Happy reading!
Holley

Comics timeline

2011-04-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jared Millet at Hoover for this spectacular bit of history!

A Comics Glossary

Comics (Sequential art) – The use of pictures and text arranged in chronological order to tell a story.

Comic strip – A short comic story usually consisting of only three or four panels. Comic strips are published on a daily or weekly basis, and appear online and in newspapers.

Comic book – Comics published in magazine format.

Graphic Novel – Comics published in a bound hardback or paperback format. Graphic novels may include original material, but are usually collections of stories previously published in magazine format.

DC Comics – The oldest comic book publisher currently in operation. DC is owned by Warner Bros. and publishes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Justice League, and other related characters. DC also publishes comics for an adult audience under its Vertigo imprint.

Marvel Comics – Comic book publisher that came to prominence in the 1960s and continues to hold the largest share of the comic book market. Marvel is currently owned by Sony and publishes Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four, Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, and other related characters.

Independent comics – Generally refers to any comics not published by the “Big Two” (DC and Marvel). Independent comics are usually the intellectual property of the creators and not the publishing company, as is the case with comics published by DC and Marvel.

Manga – Blanket term for comics from Japan.
Manga can be divided into:
• Kodomo – for children
• Shojo – for female readers
• Shonen – for male readers

Direct Market – The primary business model for comic book distribution, in which readers buy their comics from independently-owned specialty stores. The development of the Direct Market in the 1980s caused sales of comic books at newsstands, drug stores and supermarkets to dwindle.

A Comics Timeline

1934 - Famous Funnies, the first comic book sold through newsstands, is published.

1938 – Action Comics #1 is published, featuring the first appearance of Superman.

1938- 1949 The Golden Age
Comic book sales skyrocket. Comics of all genres are popular, including detective stories, westerns, adventure, romance, cartoon characters, and superheroes. The Golden Age saw the births of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America, and Captain Marvel. The beginning of the Fifties saw a sharp decline in the popularity of super-heroes and a rise in crime and horror comics, most notably EC Comics’ Tales from the Crypt.

1954 – Seduction of the Innocent, by Dr. Fredric Wertham, is published. Wertham, a psychiatrist, blamed comics for juvenile delinquency, sexual deviance, and the rise of communism, even going so far as to testify before Congress to that effect. The comic industry saved itself from government interference by creating the Comics Code Authority, a self-censoring body that would approve all comics before publication and prevent anything not considered appropriate for small children from seeing print.

1956-1969 The Silver Age
With all adult subject matter forbidden by the Comics Code, the late Fifties and early Sixties saw a revival of the superhero. At DC, classic characters like the Flash and Green Lantern were revamped with a science-fiction twist. At rival Timely Comics (soon renamed Marvel), writer Stan Lee, along with artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, created an entirely new line of characters who were super-human but with real human problems, such as the Fantastic Four (a dysfunctional family with super-powers) and Spider-Man (whose alter ego was a nerdy, unpopular teenager).

The 1960s saw many innovations in comic book storytelling and artistic styles, while underground “comix” become popular on college campuses. Most of the comic book characters still known and loved today saw their origin in the Silver Age.

1970-1985 The Bronze Age
The early Seventies saw a relaxing of the Comics Code and the reintroduction of adult subject matter to mainstream comics, partly due to the increasing age of the average comic book reader, and also because of several direct challenges to the Code itself. In 1970, Stan Lee published three issues of The Amazing Spider-Man without the Code’s seal of approval in order to tell a story dealing with drug addiction.
At DC, Batman shed the campiness of Adam West and once again became a creature of the night. The Seventies also saw a return of non-superhero genres such as horror (Tomb of Dracula) and fantasy (Conan the Barbarian). Even superhero comics themselves began to take on elements of other literary styles, such as Daredevil, which, under writer/artist Frank Miller, became a gritty crime drama.

The major storytelling innovation of the Bronze Age was the introduction of “soap opera” plotting, in which a comic series would feature continuing sub-plots that would take months or years to come to fruition. This style was exemplified in Chris Claremont’s 17-year tenure as writer of The Uncanny X-Men, during which what was once Marvel’s least selling title became the most popular comic book for decades.

1986 – The Best Year Ever
In the mid-Eighties there was a surge of creativity in the comic book industry, and with the birth of the Direct Market, the way that comic books were sold was changing as well. More and more, comic books were produced with ever increasing production values for a college audience.

In 1986, DC Comics followed its 50th anniversary celebration (the year-long Crisis on Infinite Earths) with two series that set new standards for literary storytelling and brought comics to a much wider audience: Alan Moore’s Watchmen, a post-modern deconstruction of the superhero genre, and Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, which featured an aging Batman as a harsh, driven vigilante. These were not only hits as serialized comic books, but were published as trade paperbacks and sold in bookstores nationwide.
The modern “graphic novel” was born.

1986-20?? The Modern Age

Our current era has been marked by a continued shift towards an older audience, with more sophisticated storytelling and stylized artwork. The Modern Age has seen a “British Invasion” of talented English writers and an influx of artists from Europe and Latin America. Graphic novels have won major literary awards, such as a Pulitzer for Art Spiegelman’s Maus and a Hugo for an issue of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. Comic sales went through a boom when speculators flooded the market, followed by a bust during which Marvel actually filed for bankruptcy. The mid-Nineties were characterized by stunts designed to increase sales, such as the death of Superman and the near-deaths of Batman and Wolverine (leading some to call the Nineties the Dark Age of Comics). Also in the Nineties, a group of popular artists, tired of doing work-for-hire for Marvel and DC, founded their own company: Image Comics. Image, along with Dark Horse Comics (founded in 1986) championed a new creative model in which writers and artists would own the characters and stories they created. This led to many new creator-owned series such as Todd McFarlane’s Spawn and Mike Mignola’s Hellboy.

The 2000’s have seen a shift away from the traditional 30-page comic book to the graphic novel as the primary means of distribution. By the end of the Nineties, all issues of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman had been collected into graphic novel format and were selling as well or better in bookstores than they ever had in comic shops. More and more, monthly comics are written in 5-7 issue story arcs that can be easily reprinted in trade paperback. Comic publishers are less concerned with meeting rigid monthly publishing schedules and are letting creators take their time to produce novel quality stories.

Manga, which in this country are only published in graphic novel format, have flooded the comic book market, bringing a whole new audience to the comic scene: teenage girls. Meanwhile, traditional American comics are being mined by movie studios for summer blockbusters. Internet comics provide an outlet for budding young talent, as well as a new market for the older publishers. If graphic novels’ availability, popularity, and overall quality continue to increase, they will become a more and more vital part of any children, teen, or adult library collection.
Comics Writers & Artists

The Greats

Alan Moore – Watchmen*, V for Vendetta, From Hell*, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen*, Swamp Thing, Tom Strong, Promethea

Frank Miller – The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Daredevil: Born Again, Sin City*, 300*

Neil Gaiman – The Sandman*, Violent Cases*, Stardust, 1602, Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?

Will Eisner – writer/artist who coined the term “graphic novel.” Known for The Spirit and A Contract With God. The highest honors in the comics industry are the annual “Eisner Awards.”

Stan Lee – wrote almost everything published by Marvel in the ‘50s and ‘60s: Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, Avengers, X-Men, etc.

Jack Kirby – definitive comic book artist from the ‘40s to the ‘70s, did seminal work on Captain America, Fantastic Four, and New Gods

* recommended for Adult collections only

Today’s Popular Writers

Brian Michael Bendis, Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, Warren Ellis, Mark Millar, Brian K. Vaughan, J. Michael Straczynski, Robert Kirkman, Rick Remender, Peter David, Gail Simone, Keith Giffen, Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, Jeph Loeb, Matt Wagner, James Robinson, Kevin Smith

Today’s Popular Artists

Alex Ross, Mike Mignola, Salvador Larroca, Dave Finch, John Romita Jr., Francis Manapul, Darwyn Cooke, Andy & Adam Kubert, Terry & Rachel Dodson, Terry Moore, Tim Sale, Adam Warren, Richard Corben, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Todd McFarlane, Greg Capullo, Jae Lee, Dan Jurgens, Ivan Reis, Stuart Immonen, Leinil Yu, Amanda Conner, Alex Maleev, David Mack, Dave McKean

Weekly blog stats

2011-04-14T12:13:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

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Total ........................ 1,222
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 1:27
This Week ....................... 15

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,592
Average per Day .................. 3
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This Week ....................... 18

Rountable meets this week!

2011-04-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

Join us on Wednesday morning, April 13th at 9am at the Emmet O'Neal Library for a discussion of graphic novels. I'm pleased to say that we have a lot of talent among the librarians in this county and two of our best will be on hand to offer recommendations and advice on this topic!

Happy reading!
Holley

Weekly blog stats

2011-04-07T07:45:00.001-07:00

--- Site Summary ---

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Total ........................ 1,207
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 1:04
This Week ....................... 14

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,574
Average per Day .................. 3
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This Week ....................... 19

RA Roundtable meets next week!

2011-04-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

We'll meet at the Emmet O'Neal Library at 9am for a discussion of graphic novels! I'm excited to say that our resident Librarian Expert, Maya Jones, will be at the meeting to share her enjoyment and enthusiasm for this genre with us! Call or email if you'd like more information!
205/445-1117
hwesley@bham.lib.al.us

Weekly blog stats

2011-03-31T07:47:00.001-07:00

-- Site Summary ---

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Total ........................ 1,193
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 0:15
This Week ....................... 11

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,555
Average per Day .................. 2
Average per Visit .............. 1.4
This Week ....................... 15

Fantastic Fiction

2011-03-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Do you know about the splendiferousness of the Fantastic Fiction website? Visit the site to find bibliographies for over 30,000 authors and over 350,000 books! Did I mention the chronological order of publication and series information??? No? Well, visit and find the author you are looking for, the order in which their books were published, and any series information available.

I have found that this site works a bit better for adult authors than for those of juvenile books, but I just love it. I was a huge fan of Novelist when it was available via the county databases and I was heartbroken when we could no longer fund it. Fantastic Fiction doesn't have quite as many bells and whistles but it is an outstanding website! Bookmark it at your service desks today!!!

Go to Facebook and Like their Page as well!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fantastic-Fiction/112057615477077

Happy reading!
Holley

Weekly blog stats

2011-03-24T11:48:00.001-07:00

-- Site Summary ---

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Total ........................ 1,182
Average per Day .................. 1
Average Visit Length .......... 0:00
This Week ........................ 8

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Total ........................ 1,540
Average per Day .................. 1
Average per Visit .............. 1.0
This Week ........................ 8

weekly stats

2011-03-17T08:18:00.001-07:00

-- Site Summary ---

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Total ........................ 1,174
Average per Day .................. 1
Average Visit Length .......... 0:19
This Week ....................... 10

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Total ........................ 1,532
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Average per Visit .............. 1.3
This Week ....................... 13

Weekly blog stats

2011-03-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

-- Site Summary ---

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Total ........................ 1,152
Average per Day .................. 2
Average Visit Length .......... 0:36
This Week ....................... 12

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Total ........................ 1,493
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This Week ....................... 17

weekly stats

2011-02-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

--- Site Summary ---

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Total ........................ 1,140

Average per Day .................. 2

Average Visit Length .......... 1:32

This Week ....................... 13

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,476

Average per Day .................. 4

Average per Visit .............. 1.9

This Week ....................... 25

weekly stats

2011-02-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

-- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,127

Average per Day .................. 2

Average Visit Length .......... 0:19

This Week ....................... 16

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,451

Average per Day .................. 3

Average per Visit .............. 1.3

This Week ....................... 21

Weekly blog stats

2011-02-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

-- Site Summary --

Visits Total ........................ 1,111

Average per Day .................. 5

Average Visit Length .......... 1:05

This Week ....................... 34

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,430

Average per Day .................. 6

Average per Visit .............. 1.3

This Week ....................... 44

Nonfiction of Choice

2011-02-09T15:52:00.000-08:00

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, April 13th at 9am at the Emmet O'Neal Library and we will be discussing Graphic Novels!

Every Man’s Marriage: An Every Man’s Guide to Winning the Heart of a Woman by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker with Mike Yorkey
Authors Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker pull from real life experiences to illustrate how every man can fulfill the secret desires of his wife through love, trust and effective communication. This book covers sound biblically based principals that can divorce proof any marriage such as mutual submission and loving your wife like Christ loved the Church. Also covered in this book is how the Christian man can effectively lead as the spiritual head of the family and certain marital no-no’s that can often lead to strife in a marriage. Filled with many Bible scriptures relating to marriage and thought provoking end of the chapter review questions, this book is a winner.

Andrei, Five Points West

Cesar’s Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide To Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems by Cesar Millan

Is available in book, audiobook, and downloadable audiobook. Cesar explains his philosophy for dogs and dog training including what it means to be a "calm assertive" pack leader and how to accomplish this task. Sprinkled with stories from his show and his personal life the book is an enjoyable read. However, readers should not expect this to be a "what page number does he tell me how to fix behavior" but rather expect a good foundation and philosophy for how to understand and improve your relationship with your dog.

Gina, Gardendale

Merle’s Door: Lessons From a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote

Patrons can find this book in print, LP, audiobook, and downloadable audiobook from JCLC. This book tells the story of Merle, Kerasote's dog and their time together. Kerasote provides his own philosophy on dogs and there are lots of places in the book where he disagrees with Milan's approach (e.g. Kerasote believes his dog should never be forced to do anything he doesn't want to do) and a lot of places where they both agree (that dogs need lots of exercise and work to do to

be well adjusted). It is a nice book to read in conjunction with Cesar's Way because of their differences. This book also provides a lot of historical facts and statistics about the dog and his long history with humans. It is really a fascinating and educational read with a "how I fell in love with my dog" story to boot! What more could you ask for.

Gina, Gardendale

The Dangerous Book for Dogs: A Parody by Rex & Sparky with the assistance of Joe Garden

Available in print only from JCLC. A parody of the dangerous book for boys, it provides humorous chapters such as "creative pee stains," "how to make your owner look like an idiot," "squirrels," "how to pick a pill out of peanut butter," and other humorous skills every dog should know. Sure to amuse the true dog lover.

Gina, Gardendale

The Complete Dog Book by the American Kennel Club

This is the breed guide for the hardcore dog aficionado. It lists the dog breeds that have been officially recognized by the American Kennel Club and gives the complete standard by which each breed would be judged in dog shows, along with sections on “Living With Your Dog” and a guide to canine first aid. For the casual dog owner this book might be overkill, but for patrons interested in breeding and showing dogs it is invaluable. Check for the latest updates because several breeds have just been recognized by the AKC, which makes this edition of the guide obsolete.

Mary Ann, Southern History

The Dog Breed Bible by D. Caroline Coile

This is an attractive and user-friendly guide for the average would-be dog owner who is interested in purebred dogs. There is a color photograph of each breed, along with ratings for characteristics such as energy level, friendliness toward other pets, friendliness to strangers, ease of training, and grooming requirements. This guide also supplies a brief history of the breed and points out potential health concerns. As with The Complete Dog Book, check for updated editions because new breeds are added almost every year.

Mary Ann, Southern History

The Blue Book of Dogs: Sporting, Working, Herding, Non-Sporting and The Red Book of Dogs: Hounds, Terriers, Toys by Julie Muszynski

These delightful little books are the “quick and dirty” version of the dog breed guide, with a short descriptive paragraph, a trivia section, and a page of photographs and paintings for each breed. The paintings are an interesting twist because the breeds as they are represented in artwork often look strikingly different from the dog as we see it in everyday life. These books would be useful for patrons just beginning their breed research but also for readers, especially younger ones, who just like “dog books.”

Mary Ann, Southern History

Southern Dogs and Their People – photographs by P.S. Davis ; edited by Roberta Gamble ; with an introduction by Clyde Edgerton

This is a “just for fun” book that will strike a chord for anyone who grew up in the South and spent time just hanging out with dogs of every variety. As Edgerton points out in his introduction: “I did not grow up in a culture of dog shows. I grew up in a culture of Dog. There is a difference.” This book of candid photos with accompanying literary passages draws the reader into the “culture of Dog” as it flourishes in the American South; dogs are presented in their various roles such as hunters, guardians, babysitters, clowns, tricksters, philosophers, and just plain members of the family. A patron who doesn’t own a dog may find himself wanting one after browsing through this book.

Mary Ann, Southern History

Historic Photos of Birmingham in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s by Jessica Barton

This book of archival photographs with accompanying commentary highlights three decades of social change in the city of Birmingham. Barton begins the segment for each decade with a short essay on the era and has composed annotations for each photograph, giving the reader a real feeling for the sights and happenings of Birmingham during that time. The result is a handsome book suitable for either straightforward reading or simply browsing at random, especially for patrons who remember the featured decades.

Mary Ann, Southern History

Mary Ann also mentioned that her inspiration for most of the books she brought today is the fact that the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held next week and it will be an excellent time to put out a display of dog books!

The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Pit Bulls and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption by Jim Gorant

Up until this court case, in most cases dogs seized from fighting rings were euthanized. The court used Vick’s financial resources to care for and rehabilitate an amazing number of the over 40 dogs seized from the property. Several of them are now licensed therapy dogs for a variety of causes. There is graphic detail about dog fighting and the barbaric treatment fighting dogs receive at the hands of those who profit from fighting, so sensitive readers beware. This is a wonderful story about the resilience of animals and the boundless generosity of the volunteers determined to help them.

Holley, Emmet O’Neal

The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers by Josh Kilmer-Purcell

Josh and his partner Brent, Dr. Brent Ridge of Martha Stewart show fame, sort of bumble into buying a historic mansion in the picturesque town of Sharon Springs, New York. They quickly get in a bit over their heads financially and personally in an epic quest to create the perfect weekend farm. A cross between Funny Farm and The Money Pit, in book form, The Bucolic Plague is everything that bad reality television is not…poignant, actually real, and funny!

Holley, Emmet O’Neal

Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff

Shannon, Hoover

Mr. Sheff’s son, Nic, also wrote a book about his addiction to meth, Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines. The film rights to Tweak and Beautiful Boy have been acquired by Paramount. Mary mentioned a similar title by the son of Bill Moyers, William Cope Moyers, titled Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption.

Rising Road: A True Tale of Love, Race, and Religion in America by Sharon Davies

Prof. Davies recounts the revenge murder of Catholic priest,James Coyle, by a minister named Edwin Stephenson. Stephenson was upset that Coyle had married Stephenson's 18-year-old daughter Ruth – who had secretly converted to Catholicism three months earlier – to Pedro Gussman, a Puerto Rican migrant and practicing Catholic. Having all but disappeared from historical memory, the murder of Father Coyle and the trial of Rev. Stephenson that followed are vividly resurrected by Davies. The case laid bare all the bigotries of its time and place: a simmering hatred not only of African Americans, but of Catholics and foreigners as well. Placing this story in its full social and historical context, Davies brings to life a heinous crime and its aftermath, in a brilliant, in-depth examination of the consequences of prejudice in the Jim Crow era. (copied from her website)

Mary, Emmet O’Neal

Jenniemae & James: A Memoir in Black and White by Brooke Newman

Brooke Newman’s memoir centers on the warm and most unlikely friendship which developed between her father, James, and Jennimae Harrington, the young black maid who came to work for the rather chaotic family in 1948 and remained for 21 years. He was a mathematical genius, author of The World of Mathematics, frequent government consultant, friend of such as Einstein and I.F. Stone, and inveterate womanizer. Jennimae was an illiterate, overweight black lady with an affinity for numbers. She gambled regularly –and unusually successfully—with numbers which came to her in her dreams. It is engaging to watch such a respectful, yet tender, relationship develop between two such very different persons.

Mary, Emmet O’Neal

The Death of the Liberal Class by Chris Hedges

Hedges, author and former foreign correspondent, bemoans what he considers the impending death of the traditional liberal class. He contends that beginning in the 1930s the liberals( whom he sees as the defenders and supporters of the working class and the downtrodden) in academia, labor unions, media and church have sold out to a pervasive culture of corporate greed and unfettered capitalism. The ever fewer voices against these excesses, such as Ralph Nader and Michael moor, are being silenced. The result he fears throughout the world is the gradual establishment of oligarchical governments and neo-feudalism. The book is thought-provoking, though rather difficult to read and follow his train of thought.

Mary, Emmet O’Neal

Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz

Ellen, Avondale

Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz

Ellen, Avondale

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Bonnie, Warrior

NPR’s Fresh Air host Terry Gross interviewed Rebecca Skloot in February 2010. Click here to listen to the interview.

Rich Dad’s Increase Your Financial IQ: Get Smarter With Your Money by Robert Kiyosaki

Darnita, Avondale

The Prom Night Murders: The True Story of a Twenty Year Mystery by Carlton Smith

Leigh, North Birmingham

Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall

Jason, Trussville

Jason mentioned an episode of This American Life in which Ira Glass interviews Scott Carrier, a man who has spent 12 years trying to chase down antelope using nothing more than his own two feet. It is archived here on This American Life’s website. Mr. Carrier has written about this and other running stories in his book, Running After Antelope.

Happy reading!

Holley

RA Roundtable meeting reminder!

2011-02-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

When: Wednesday, February 9th @ 9am

Where: the Community Meeting Room at Emmet O'Neal Library (50 Oak St, 35213)

What: Nonfiction of Choice

Refreshments are provided so bring a book or two and tell us about it! Let me know if you have any questions!

Happy reading!

Holley

last week's blog stats

2011-02-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

-- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total ........................ 1,077

Average per Day .................. 4

Average Visit Length .......... 0:17

This Week ....................... 30

Page Views

Total ........................ 1,386

Average per Day .................. 5

Average per Visit .............. 1.1

This Week ....................... 33

stats

2011-01-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

here are our blog stats for the week!

--- Site Summary ---

Visits

Total 1,017

Average per Day 4

Average Visit Length 0:27

This Week 27

Page Views

Total 1,319

Average per Day 5

Average per Visit 1.2

This Week 33

Inspirational/Christian Fiction

2010-12-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

The Lord Is My Shepherd by Debbie Viguie (The Psalm 23 series)
Mary Anne, BPL Southern History

An Amish Christmas by Cynthia Keller
Gina, Gardendale
Beth, Homewood

As Young As We Feel by Melody Carlson (The Four Lindas series)
Beth, Homewood

In Every Heartbeat by Kim Vogel Sawyer
April, Irondale

While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin
April, Irondale

Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin
Beth, Homewood

Breach of Trust by DiAnne Mills (Call of Duty series)
Shannon, Hoover

Thirsty and Tandem by Tracey Victoria Bateman (billed as a sort of Christian vampire romance)
general discussion

The Devil’s Playground (DVD about Amish rumspringa)
general discussion

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist
Anna is looking for another job in order to escape her lecherous boss. Joe is looking for a bride to secure his land and livelihood. Thrown together by the unscrupulous merchant, Asa Mercer, these two star-crossed romantics engage in a delightful battle of wills set in the 1860’s Seattle wilderness.
Holley, Emmet O’Neal

The Christmas Promise by Donna vanLierre
Mondretta, Leeds

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
Mondretta, Leeds

Philip Gulley’s Harmony series
Mondretta, Leeds

Gilbert Morris’s many, many series, particularly the Lady Trent mysteries
general discussion

All I Have To Give by Melody Carlson
Leigh, North Birmingham

The Trouble with Tulip by Mindy Starnes Clark
Theresa, Hoover

Plaguemaker by Tim Downs (faith-based thriller)
A fiendish mastermind is attempting to ignite the Black Death anew in the U.S. by strategically releasing containers of bubonic plague-infested fleas around New York City. FBI counterterrorism agent Nathan Donovan must race to find out who’s behind the plot before it’s too late. The author also writes the Bug Man series starring forensic entomologist Nick Polchak.
Holley, Emmet O’Neal

If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg
Sally, Hoover

Authors to Remember

Linda Chaikin
Francine Rivers
Jan Karon
Vanessa Davis Griggs (local author)
Ted Dekker
Michele Andrea Bowen
Dynah Zale
Lutishia Lovely
Taylor Caldwell
Victoria Christopher Murray
ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Shared by:
Jon, Avondale
Mary Anne, BPL Southern History
Maya, West End

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, February 9^th at Emmet O’Neal Library at 9am to discuss Nonfiction of Choice!

RA meets this week

2010-12-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

We'll meet at Emmet O'Neal Library on Wednesday, December 15th at 9am to discuss inspirational/christian fiction!

recent inspirational fiction webinar

2010-12-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

In anticipation of our meeting next week, the lovely and talented April Wallace (Irondale) has shared the notes she took during a recent inspirational fiction webinar sponsored by Booklist! If you are new to the genre or just looking for a little....wait for it!....INSPIRATION for our meeting, have a look at the list below! If you'd like to view the webinar, here's the link: http://vimeo.com/14040381

Booklist Webcast – Selecting and Recommending Inspirational Fiction

Terms Defined

Inspirational Fiction encourages the reader to examine his or her own life in view of the characters’ struggles: it can be generally uplifting or morally prescriptive and may incorporate religious tenets.

Christian Fiction focuses on the characters’ relationship to God using a Christian worldview (the belief that Jesus Christ is God’s son and the Messiah).

Evangelical titles preach the Gospel with the intent to convert the character/reader; they usually offer at least one conversion during the course of the story and provide numerous Biblical passages.

Gentle Fiction offers clean language, chaste relationships, and minimal violence, generally occurring off-screen.

Examples

Amish/Bonnet – Wanda Brunsetter, Cindy Woodsmall, Ann Gabhart, Hillary Manton Lodge

Contemporary Mainstream – Karen Kingsbury, Terri Blackstock, William Young

Chick Lit – Judy Baer, Neta Jackson, Tracey Batemen, Laura Jensen Walker, Sandra Bickler

African –American –Michelle Andrea Bowen, Jacquelin Thomas, Victoria Christopher Murray, Vanessa Davis Griggs

Historical – Stephen Bly, Tamera Alexander, Sarah Sundin, Tracie Peterson, Lynn Austin, Julie Lessman

Speculative Fiction: Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy – Maurice Broaddus, Tracey Bateman, Mary Doria Russell, Stephen Lawhead

Crime: Cozies, Thrillers & Suspense – Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, James Scott Bell, Dr. Richard Mabry

Romance Series – PJ Sugar Series by Susan May Warren (similar to Janet Evanovich), Call of Duty Series by DiAnn Mills (similar to Dee Henderson), Mercy Hospital Series by former ER nurse Candace Calvert (similar to Karen Kingsbury)

See you next Wednesday!

meeting next week!

2010-12-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

The meeting was rescheduled to avoid conflict with the JCPLA Holiday Luncheon so we will be meeting next Wednesday, December 15th @ 9am at Emmet O'Neal Library for the Christian/Inspirational fiction meeting. This is also our annual holiday potluck so please bring something to share if you plan on joining us!

I know we had originally planned a field trip to the new Vestavia Library, but that will be postponed so the hard-working folks over there get a chance to get their feet under them. I'm certain we all wish them the best as their new facility opens to the public next week!

Questions/comments? Let me know!

Happy reading!

Holley

What Scares You?

2010-10-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

This meeting was so good, it was scary!

Okay, that's a bit melodramatic but it was a fantastic meeting! The topic was scary books, but the variety of topics that can be creepy is vast and that vastness was well represented by roundtable participants. For even MORE scary titles, Friend "JCPLA Reader's Advisory Roundtable" on Facebook and look for the relevant wall post!

I’ll take just a minute to note that the December meeting, originally scheduled
for December 8^th, will go through both a date and venue change. I’ll get that information out just as soon as I get some firm plans in place!

On to the list:

Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
Sally, Hoover

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Sally, Hoover

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Gina, Gardendale

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Gina, Gardendale

Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
Gina, Gardendale

The Passage by Justin Cronin
Mondretta, Leeds

House of Reckoning by John Saul
Mondretta, Leeds

The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan
Alabama connection: the author was born in Dublin, Ireland but her family moved to Leeds, Alabama when she was a small girl and then to Trussville during her teen years.
The Red Tree is a mind-blowing blend of pseudo-reality and fiction. It is a story within a story within a story, maybe one more story on top of that. For lack of a better term, the “foreword” is an editor’s letter relating how she came to acquire and publish the manuscript that follows. The manuscript author, Sarah, was supposed to have been working on a novel, but the manuscript, Sarah’s diary in the months before her suicide, is apparently the only work she did. Sarah’s diary follows the editor’s letter. Sarah is a coming-up-on-middle-age author, possibly suffering from burn out, from a small Alabama town who has arrived on this New England farm seeking a respite from the grief of the death of her lover, Amanda. While exploring the house’s cellar, she finds an old typewriter and a manuscript written by the house’s former tenant. He chronicles the myths and legends surrounding a creepy, rather sinister tree on the property. As Sarah reads his research and makes her own journey out to see the supposedly evil tree, the root of obsession takes hold and her life quickly spirals out of control. The Red Tree takes its pace from its name. Slow, steady, resolute, unstoppable dread looms over the reader and never lets go. No monsters jump out of dark alcoves, no undead lumber across the old farmhouse’s wooden floors, but the monsters of the mind prove more dangerous than any that could have trod the ground anyway.
Holley, Emmet O’Neal

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
This book was shortlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize, eventually losing out to Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall. A novel just as much about the ghost of the aristocracy as it may be about ghosts in the shadowed corridors of Hundreds Hall, The Little Stranger has a wonderfully gothic feel and tone. Dr. Faraday’s mother was a maid at Hundreds Hall and he has always considered it a nearly hallowed place, a residence to envy and covet. He has overcome those humble beginnings to become the town physician and finally gets a call from the stately old manor. The young servant girl will tell him little except that there is something wrong, something bad, in the house and it doesn’t like her to be there. Dismissing her complaints as childish fancies, Dr. Faraday makes excuses for her to the matron of the household, Mrs. Ayers, and her daughter, Caroline. Caroline takes Dr. Faraday into her confidences concerning her brother Roderick, recovering from injuries he received in WWII. She details her brother’s erratic behavior and paranoia and Dr. Faraday agrees to treat him. As his association with this once affluent family becomes closer, Dr. Faraday struggles with his dedication to science and begins to wonder whether childish fancies are all that is going on a Hundreds Hall or if something truly is wrong there, something bad, something evil.
Holley, Emmet O’Neal

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Jason, Trussville

Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves by Zampano
Jason, Trussville

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Jason, Trussville

Horns by Joe Hill
Theresa, Hoover

Dracula by Bram Stoker
Ellen, Avondale

Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen by David J. Skal
Ellen, Avondale

Sundays with Vlad: From Pennsylvania to Transylvania, One Man's Quest to Live in the World of the Undead by Paul Bibeau
The subtitle is a bit dramatic because what he is actually trying to do is find out how a medieval prince became the most famous symbol of horror in the world, EVER. Some of what he finds we've all seen before, like Vlad's family life and the coincidence of the Dracul last name but some of the gems Bibeau teases from the Dracula legacy are real treasures. I have never read such a good, concise survey of the current trends in today’s vampire communities. I also have no idea if it is an exhaustive study, but it seems fairly thorough. I'd never heard of most of these people or groups and it makes me wonder which might be active here. Some drink blood, others only take in psychic energy, if the stories are to be believed, but all are very, very secretive. Also, I found Bibeau to be HiLaRiOuS! He has a description of Keanu Reeves' fame for unemotional acting that had me ROLLING! He also describes his attempts to get into a pair of plastic pants for a vampire party and other equally amusing tales that keep you reading well into the night. This blend of history and humor was a real treat and I heartily suggest it. I think it would make a great, interesting book group choice at Halloween so I'm keeping it on my radar to suggest to my own book group when the time comes. It also reminded me that I have never, ever read Bram Stoker's Dracula and that I should ASAP.
Holley, Emmet O’Neal

The Fall by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan
Jonathan, Avondale

Floating Dragon by Peter Straub
Jonathan, Avondale

Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks
Jonathan, Avondale

The Stand by Stephen King
Jonathan, Avondale

Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
Jonathan, Avondale

Sometimes, the classic, tried & true of a master like Stephen King cannot be trumped. His second book, 'Salem's Lot was about the slow takeover of an small town called Jerusalem's Lot by a vampire patterned after Bram Stoker's Dracula and has two elements that he also uses to good effect in later novels: a small American town, usually in Maine, where people are disconnected from each other, quietly nursing their potential for evil; and a mixed bag of rational, goodhearted people, including a writer, who band together to fight that evil. Simply taken as a contemporary vampire novel, 'Salem's Lot is great fun to read, and has been very influential in the horror genre. No one who has ever read about the vampires that float up to scratch on their potential victims windows will forget that image. But this title is also a sly piece of social commentary. As King said in 1983, "In 'Salem's Lot, the thing that really scared me was not vampires, but the town in the daytime, the town that was empty, knowing that there were things in closets, that there were people tucked under beds, under the concrete pilings of all those trailers. And all the time I was writing that, the Watergate hearings were pouring out of the TV.... Howard Baker kept asking, 'What I want to know is, what did you know and when did you know it?' That line haunts me, it stays in my mind.... During that time I was thinking about secrets, things that have been hidden and were being dragged out into the light."
Leslie, Vestavia

Directive 51 by John Barnes
Jonathan, Avondale

Dust by Charles Pellegrino
Jonathan, Avondale

World War Z by Max Brooks
Jonathan, Avondale

The Deadliest Strain by Jan Coffey
Jonathan, Avondale

Faithless by Karin Slaughter
Slaughter's dark, forensic-driven Grant County series of crime novels has always drawn a thin line between the members of the law-enforcement team and the victims of the crimes being investigated. The title of the fifth entry in the series reflects both the marital difficulties of coroner Sara Linton and her ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, and the label affixed to certain willful members
of a religious cult. Jeffrey makes a grisly discovery in the woods when he stumbles over a metal pipe. A young woman was buried alive in a wooden crate for several days and appears to have died of asphyxiation. But
Sara's autopsy reveals a far different scenario. Jeffrey and officer Lena Adams' investigation leads to a farm owned by the Church of the Greater Good, which appears to have used burial as a form of punishment before. Meanwhile, Lena finds her own sick relationship with an abusive lover mirrored in the marriage of a former cult member who has damning information but is too afraid to disclose it for fear of provoking another vicious beating from her husband. Slaughter cannily incorporates any number of women's issues--from the difficult work of rebuilding a ruined relationship to finally figuring out when to call it quits--within a
compulsively readable narrative. And for anyone with claustrophobia will be terrorized by descriptions of being buried alive for three days to “atone” for your sins. I was!!!
Leslie, Vestavia

Crashers by Dana Haynes
The premise is simple: a crack team of National Transportation Safety Board experts, nicknamed the Crashers, investigate airplane crashes. Normally they take months to sift through wreckage and evidence, but this time they have mere days: if they can’t figure out what and who brought down CascadeAir Flight 818, more planes will fall from the sky. The lead characters consist of a hotshot engineer, the voice-recorder specialist, the veteran pathologist, and so on. The cockpit recorder shows that everything was working fine up to the point where the co-pilot notices a signal for a catastrophic system failure and instantly the plane starts to shake itself to pieces. Part of the team wants to write the crash off to pilot error, but one character isn't quite ready to buy that explanation, as the behavior of the pilots doesn't fit for him. Focus starts to turn to the new generation of flight recorder on the plane, and the technical lead from the company is more than happy to show off the capabilities of the device. However, it could be that the device does more than just record, and that the tech lead is part of a larger terrorist plot that could have international ramifications. A solid debut guaranteed to make you think twice before getting on another plane!
Leslie, Vestavia

Room by Emma Donoghue
This book was shortlisted for this year's Man Booker Prize, but lost out to Howard Jacobson's The Finkler Question.
To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work. Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.
This book was mentioned in the general discussion.

Book vs. movie showdown! Richard Preston’s Hot Zone vs. Outbreak! Read the book, then watch the similar-story movie. The movie is not an adaptation, but the two deal with a similar topic. Preston - scary (and not a little gross)...Outbreak - "and they all lived happily ever after."

Read scary!
Holley

RA Roundtable meets this Wednesday!

2010-10-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

Just another friendly reminder about the Roundtable meeting this Wednesday, October 13th at 9am at the Emmet O'Neal Library! Bring a book that you find scary and tell us about it!

Read scary,
Holley

Next meeting - October 13th

2010-10-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

If you haven't marked your calendars yet, get to scribbling! Our next meeting will be Wednesday, October 13th at 9am at Emmet O'Neal Library and we will be discussing a THEME!!!

What Scares You?

Straight out horror was too much for some, thrillers too little for others...we couldn't decide what exactly qualified as scary across the board, so you get to pick!

Bring a book and share, or bring yourself and just listen!

Read scary,

Holley

JCPLA Staff Development Day notes

2010-08-31T14:08:00.000-07:00

These are the talking points I used to guide discussion:

This program is a condensed version of reader’s advisory guru Nancy Pearl’s 2010 Public Library Association half-day preconference program. In order to effectively match up a reader with just the right book, it’s helpful to understand how to apply the concept of “doorways” in suggesting reading material. This session will focus on defining, identifying, and using doorways in RA interviews.

Nothing cements a library in a community like providing the connections that service gives and this is a service EVERYONE has the chance to excel at on a daily basis.

Whole library RA – don’t be afraid to recommend an audiobook or a video on a subject someone might like. Also, readers need to discover that they can have the same reading experience by taking books from different parts of the library, not just the same area they always visit (i.e. the patron who only reads one genre/author).

RA isn’t like a reference interview. In a RI, the capital of Peru is always Lima but a person’s reading interests change depending mood.

Don’t feel like you can only suggest books you’ve read, it’s impossible to remember every book much less the plot details of each one.

RA is not about us. The reader should never know our opinion about a book unless they ask for it.

It’s essential to make an effort to read books in areas we wouldn’t normally read, especially if those areas are popular in your library. We need to be willing to read anything. Even if we don’t like it we only need to read it long enough to be able to answer the question, “What kind of reader would like this book?” Read promiscuously

The “shoe story” Provide three suggestions: one spot on, one similar, and a “reach” choice.

“suggest”, not “recommend” because “recommend” carries with it the subtle insinuation that the potential reader should have the very same experience with the book that you did.

Don’t ask what they like, but what they liked about it.

Invite the reader to come back and discuss the book with you.

The Doorways: Story, Character, Setting, and Language

Each book has all four but the difference is in the size of each doorway within the book.

STORY/PLOT

Possible display title: “Stories You May Not Have Heard”

The drive to know what happens next becomes the main motivation, “I stayed up all night, I just HAD to know what happened”, and “a real page-turner”

Harry Potter, Twilight, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Douglas Preston, James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, Dean Koontz

CHARACTER

Possible display title: “People You Ought To Meet”

“I felt like I knew him/her”, “That was my family”, “I know people like that”

Is the main character named or described in the title? This MIGHT be an indication of a character-drive book.

mystery series (a Detective/Inspector so-and-so…), sci-fi/fant series, memoirs/biographies/autobiographies, Alexander McCall Smith, John Green, , Julia Glass, Adriana Trigiani, Lee Smith, Amy Tan, Frank McCourt, Rick Bragg, Charlaine Harris, David Webber, Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge

SETTING

Possible display title: “Places You Should Go”

“This book just brought this place to life”, “I felt like I’d been there”, “I could see it clearly in my mind’s eye”

Is the place name in the title? This MIGHT be an indication of a setting-driven book.

SF/F world building makes great setting portals, westerns, dystopian fictions, Scandinavian mysteries, any sort of regional/ethnic literature (why do we like Southern literature so much?), Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil, Devil in the White City, 1000 Splendid Suns, James Michener, Bill Bryson, Undaunted Courage, Elizabeth Peters, Tony Hillerman, Lonesome Dove, Fannie Flagg

LANGUAGE

Built in lists in the literary awards: Pulitzer Prize, Man Booker Awards, Orange Prize, National Book Awards, etc.

Usually “the classics”, more literary, sometimes require more effort to read and get into, frequently feature complex plotting and potentially confusing viewpoints

Toni Morrison, Willa Cather, Zadie Smith, Faulkner, Joyce, Annie Dillard, Doty Roy, Thomas Hardy, Stegner, Chabon, Maugham, McEwan, Cormac McCarthy, Olive Kitteridge, Philip Roth, The Hours, Pat Conroy, Salman Rushdie, Jonathan Foer, Jeffery Eugenides, The Book Thief, Don Quixote, Wolf Hall

These are the EXTREMELY on-the-fly notes I took via Google Documents while session participants fired titles at me! Please forgive the informality of it all!

Early Afternoon Session

STORY/PLOT
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Vertical Run by Joseph Garber
James Patterson
Danielle Steel
Under the Banner of Heaven by Krakauer
Devil in the White city eric larson
L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
with series books - recurring characters vs chronological series
good starter question for nonreaders/reluctant readers - “what kind of movies do you like?”
imbd - literature listings on lower left
“best of” lists
nonrequired reading of the year lists

CHARACTER
their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston
harry potter
sinclair lewis
olive kitteridge by elizabeth strout
jan karon - mitford series
memory keeper’s daughter by kim edwards
family linen by lee smith
lisbeth salandar series by stieg larsson
biographies
stolen child by keith donohue
sandman series by neil naiman
chronicles of vladimir todd by heather brewer
time traveler’s wife by Audrey niffenegger
encyclopedia brown series by david sobol
nancy drew series by Carolyn keene
junie b. jones series by Barbara park
fancy nancy series by jane o’connor
ramona quimby series by Beverly cleary
sherlock holmes series by Arthur conan doyle
graphic novels

SETTING
boneshaker by cherie priest
the forest of hands and teeth by carrie ryan
j.r.r. tolkien
to build a fire by jack london
skeletons on the zahara by dean king
blood and ice robert masello
travel writing
dune by frank herbert
yiddish policemen’s union by Michael chabon
song of ice & fire series by George r.r. martin
james michener’s books
historical fiction
shame by salman rushdie
midnight’s children by salman rushdie
midnight in the garden of good and evil by john berendt
jack finney time travel novels
connie willis’ doomsday book (another books in the Historians series - to say nothing of the dog)
world lit only by fire by William Raymond manchester
year 1000 by Robert lacey
travels with a tangerine by tim mackintosh-smith

LANGUAGE
the road by cormac mccarthy
make lemonade by Virginia euwer wolff
wolf hall by Hilary mantel
elmore leonard’s books
life of pi by yan martel
William faulkner’s books
james joyce’s books
ray bradbury’s books
claiming ground by laura bell
electric michaelanglo by sarah hall
post office by Charles bukowski
warlock by oakley m. hall
true grit by Charles portis
god of small things by arundhati roy

Late Afternoon Session

PLOT / STORY
harry potter series by j.k. rowling
twilight series by stephenie meyer
john grisham’s books
tom clancy’s books
douglas preston’s books
james patterson’s books
janet evanovich’s books
dean koontz’s books
anathem by neal stephenson
james rollins’s books
matthew reilly’s books
jack du brul’s books
stieg larsson’s millennium trilogy
skullduggery pleasant series by Derek landy
rick riordan’s books
incarceron by Catherine fisher
uglies series by scott westerfel

CHARACTER

olive kitteridge by Elizabeth strout
time traveler’s wife by Audrey niffenegger
memory keepers daughter by kim edwards
disreputable history of frankie landau banks by e. lockhart
girl with the dragon tattoo by stieg larsson
ahab’s wife by sena jeter naslund
anne tyler’s entire oeuvre
carl Hiaasen’s books
Edward rutherford - new york, london
david rosenfelt’s books
art of racing in the rain by garth stein
world war z by max brooks
terry pratchett’s wee free men series
stephen donaldson’s books
kite runner by khaled hosseini
jan karon - mitford books
thomas kinkade series
jane austen and spinoffs
dark tower series (characters from other books show up) by stephen king

SETTING

shutter island by dennis lehane
all dennis lehane’s books
travel writing
james michener’s books
roger zelazny (sp?) chronicles of amber
ringworld series by larry niven
dune by frank herbert
j.r.r. tolkein’s books
jon krakauer’s books
skeletons on the zahara by dean king
midnight in the garden of good and evil by john berendt
big burn by timothy egan
worst hard time by timothy egan
devil in the white city by erik larson
claiming ground by laura bell

LANGUAGE

awards
poetry
anne morrow lindberg’s gifts from the sea
c.s. lewis
paradise lost by milton
shakespeare
“the classics”
edgar allan poe
w. somerset maugham
boy’s life by Robert mccammon
markus zusak’s book thief and i am the messenger

If you didn't have the opportunity to attend either of these sessions, here's your opportunity to contribute to the discussion!'

Happy reading!

Holley

Books Adapted for Film

2010-08-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who took time from their busy schedules to attend the meeting! After a unanimous vote before the meeting, I am pleased to serve as the moderator of the roundtable for another year. I forgot to mention at the meeting, but our blog visits for all of June and July and so far in August total 229!

Also, we selected topics for next year's meetings:

February 9th - Nonfiction of Choice
April 13th - Graphic Novels
June 8th - Fiction of Choice
August 10th - Award Winners (any award, bring a description of the award)
October 12th - Cross-genre Romance
December 14th - Travel Writing

I'd like to thank AND congratulate April Wallace on taking over Project Read One Book (PROB)! The RA Roundtable will assist April as needed with gathering titles for her committee to consider and with building "reader's map" content for the PROB website.

Leslie shared with us her philosophy of the book-to-movie experience:
"Books will always be better than movies; there is no question about that fact. While some movies totally disembowel the book they are based on, there are many good movie adaptations out there. Who doesn't want to see their favorite characters come to life on the big screen? Most times the movies don't end up quite how we imagined and the characters don't quite fit our expectations, but it is still fun to see our favorite books turned into movies."

Ellen Griffin Shade (BPL-Avondale) let us know about their new book-to-film discussion group, Adaptations! On selected Sunday afternoons each month, a film adapted from a book will be shown. Later that month, an after-party/book discussion will be held in the eventing. For more information, contact the Avondale Branch Library at 205/226-4000!

September - To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

October - Dracula by Bram Stoker (I heard they were hosting a Dracula Film Festival each Sunday in October!)

November - The Princess Bride by William Goldman

December - In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd

We had a lot of great variety in the titles members brought for discussion, just look!

Good Morning Miss Dove by Frances Gray Patton (film)
Mary Ann Ellis, BPL Southern History

Nicholas & Alexandra: The Story of the Love that Ended an Empire by Robert K. Massey (film)
Mary Ann Ellis, BPL Southern History

Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker (film)
Mondretta Williams, Leeds

3:10 to Yuma by Elmore Leonard (original & remake)

While Leonard's short story shows up largely as the endings of both movies, both the original and the remake were great examples of the Western films of their respective eras. Well worth your time!
general discussion

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (film)

When Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin) learns the true nature of why she was born (to save her sister who has cancer) she hires a lawyer (Alec Baldwin) to sue her parents (Cameron Diaz & Jason Patric) for rights to her own body. If you haven't read the novel before you see this movie then you should. Then watch this adaptation. There were some major differences. Without giving away too much, I’ll say that I preferred the movie version. I found the ending much more credible and preferred it to the book’s ending. Read then watch this adaptation and see if you don’t agree. When you see this movie be prepared to cry. The acting was superb and in this case I liked the movie more than the book. Very unusual.
Leslie West, Vestavia

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (film)
The Time Traveler's Wife is a tale about a time librarian who has a gene that causes him to involuntarily travel through time, thus causing tension in his marriage. I am a fan of time travel novels but this idea that you pop in and out of different time with no warning, showing up in the new place buck naked is a bit discombobulating. The novel by Audrey Niffenegger was different and good, but the film adaptation was excellent. Perhaps it was the visuals, but I felt the story was better served on screen than in the actual novel. Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana starred as the lovers plagued by his random time travel. A quality adaptation that will leave fans satisfied at the movie's end.

Leslie West, Vestavia

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (film)

The Lovely Bones tells the story of Susie Salmon who’s murdered but continues to observe her family on Earth after her death. Although she is detached from the world she once knew, Susie witnesses the impact of her loss on her loved ones, whilst her killer skillfully covers his tracks and prepares to murder again. In a tone that is both emotionally truthful, and darkly humorous, Susie tries to balance her desire for vengeance against the love she feels for her family and her need to see them heal; and ultimately comes to understand that the concept of family can encompass both the living and the dead. I suspect that those open to “alternative” versions of Heaven will enjoy the fantastic scenes of Susie’s unusual afterlife. I found it amazing and thoroughly enjoyable. In my estimation this was a phenomenal adaptation, every bit as good as the book. The cast (Saoirse Ronan as Susie, Rachel Weisz and Mark Wahlberg as Susie’s parents, Susan Sarandon as Susie’s feisty grandmother, Stanley Tucci as Susie’s neighbor and killer, and Michael Imperioli as the police officer on the case) is fabulous. Great adaptation. Read the book & watch the movie!
Leslie West, Vestavia

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (original & remake)

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her beloved uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and the tattooed and troubled but resourceful computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (the amazing and perfectly cast Noomi Rapace) to investigate. When the pair link Harriet’s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost 40 years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves. A mystery thriller based on Stieg Larsson’s international bestselling novel by the same name. Turn on the English dubbing, which is excellent, and enjoy a fast paced thriller that does not disappoint fans of the series. I intend on seeing all the Swedish film versions while waiting on the American versions to be filmed.
Leslie West, Vestavia
Sally Sizemore, Hoover

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (original & remake)

general discussion

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (film)

Two U.S. marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), are summoned to a remote and barren island off the coast of Massachusetts to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island's fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane. It is hard to tell what is creepier, the patients, the staff or the hospital grounds themselves. This story has so many twists and turns that I dare you to guess the ending! An excellent well acted movie co-starring Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, and Max von Sydow all in pivotal roles. Based on the equally excellent Dennis Lehane book Shutter Island. Great book, great movie!
Leslie West, Vestavia

Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by Cherie Currie (film)
Los Angeles 1975. Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), two teenage valley girls with punk in their blood, meet and become the heart and soul of the seminal all-girl band, The Runaways. The Runaways comes to the big screen in this story of a group of extraordinary young women as they rise from rebellious Southern California kids to rock stars of the now legendary band that paved the way for future generations of girl musicians. Under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley, the group evolves into an outrageous success and a family of misfits. With its tough-chick image and raw talent, the band quickly earns a name for itself --- and so do its two leads: Joan is the band’s pure rock ‘n’ roll heart, while Cherie, with her Bowie-Bardot looks, is the sex kitten. Based on Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by Cherie Currie, with Tony O’Neill. Curious about the inside story of this group, I found a dark and depressing story, with deafening music, a lot of drug use, as well as excellent acting. I think fans of the group will love it. But it’s not for the faint-hearted!

Leslie West, Vestavia

East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart by Susan Butler (film)

Amelia is a movie about the life story of legendary female pilot, Amelia Earhart. This movie stars Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart, as well as Ewen McGregor, Richard Gere, and Virginia Madsen in key roles. This was an exciting movie about Earhart's life and disappearance that is more than a documentary style film. Swank gives a remarkable performance as the legendary female pilot. This movie was adaptated from Susan Butler and Mary Lovell's biography of Earhart.
Leslie West, Vestavia

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (film)
general discussion

Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan (film)
Sally Sizemore, Hoover

Push by Sapphire (film)

April Wallace, Irondale

True Grit by Charles Portis (original & remake)

Jason Baker, Trussville

Crazy Heart by Tom Cobb (film)

general discussion

Miami Blues by Charles Ray Willeford (film)

Jason Baker, Trussville

Empire Falls by Richard Russo (TV miniseries)

general discussion

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (TV miniseries)

general discussion

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald (film)

Benjamin Button's case is curious indeed. Benjamin is born an old man and ages in reverse. Along the way, his relationship changes with the girl he comes to love. Both the book and the movie have this love interest, though the treatment is vastly different between the two. Benjamin in the movie has more depth and is much more likable. Benjamin in the book is more self-serving and grasping. All in all, an excellent treatment of this slim Fitzgerald short story!

Holley Wesley, Emmet O'Neal

The Vanishing by Tim Krabbe (original & remake)

A young couple, in the midst of a lovers' quarrel while on vacation, stop at a busy gas station. The woman goes in to shop and never returns. The man is haunted by her disappearance, never guessing at the malevolence behind her abduction until it's too late. The book is translated from Dutch and is a very slim, yet affective psychological thriller. The villain's cold, dispassionate preparations are chilling in both forms. An additional love interest is expanded upon in the remake, but I liked her character enough to forgive the embellishment. I have not yet seen the Dutch original but I look forward to it!

Holley Wesley, Emmet O'Neal

The Reader by Bernard Schlink (film)

The Reader opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair. Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken. Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna back in his life - this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna's past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives. The Reader is a story about truth and reconciliation, about how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another. The book is a modern classic written by Bernhard Schlink, and the movie an award winner featuring Oscar winning Kate Winslet as Hanna. Highly recommended reading, then follow up with a viewing of this excellent movie.

Leslie West, Vestavia

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates (film)

general discussion

Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella (film)

Ellen Griffin Shade, BPL Avondale

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (film)

Leigh Wilson, North Birmingham

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella (film)

Theresa Davis, Hoover

Atonement by Ian McEwan (film)

Theresa Davis, Hoover

Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale (film)

Andrei T. Jones, Five Points West

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (film) and Second Variety (film) by Philip K. Dick

Jonathan Newman, Avondale

Golden Years by Stephen King (TV miniseries)

Jonathan Newman, Avondale

This subject makes an easy and popular display. There are several references in the JCLC available for making a bibliography at your library.

Novels Into Film: The Encyclopedia of Movies Adapted From Books by John C. Tibbetts

The Encyclopedia of Novels Into Film by John C. Tibbetts

Enser's Filmed Books and Plays: A List of Books and Plays From Which Films Have Been Made 1928-1991 by Ellen Baskin

Short Stories On Film by Carol A. Emmens

Writers On the American Screen: A Guide To Film Adaptations of American and Foreign Literary Works by Larry Langman

No, But I Saw the Movie: The Best Short Stories Ever Made Into Film

As always, the internet is a treasure trove of information when looking for broad topics like this. Seek the wisdom of the crowd!

What is YOUR favorite book-to-movie adaptation?

Happy reading (and viewing)!

Holley

Meeting Reminder!

2010-08-02T07:44:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars! Our movie tie-in discussion is next Wednesday, August 11th at Emmet O'Neal Library at 9am! Bring your ideas for meeting topics next year because it's time to vote again!

Happy reading!

Holley

Nonfiction of Choice

2010-06-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

For those libraries with nonfiction fans, Hoover Library has a dedicated nonfiction book group! Check them out in the Bookgroup sidebar item; they meet the last Thursday of each month at 7pm. This month's meeting (June 24th) will be for Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle! Look for a review of this book (coming soon!) below!

Theresa also mentioned that interested parties looking for Hoover's book kits should do a Millennium TITLE search for "hoover public library". From the list you may selected "Fiction Book Club Kits" or "Nonfiction Book Club Kits".

We had a small but vocal group with some great suggestions at this morning's meeting!

Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert
Jason Baker, Trussville

People seem to have a love/hate relationship with Elizabeth Gilbert after the breakaway success of Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search For Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia. I personally fall into the love category as that book ranks among my favorites. I am super excited about the movie, starring Julia Roberts, coming out in August! Committed is a very specific, focused examination of the research Gilbert did into Western marriage customs and traditions. She says up front that this is not an exhaustive examination of the topic but merely her thoughts and opinions on what she herself studied. I don't have a problem with that, some people do. There is an especially good chapter on being a childless aunt (a trait I share with her) that made me glow with pride for the impact I have on the life of my niece (and honorary nieces) and nephew. If you are already a Gilbert fan, I believe you'll love it! If you've not yet picked up any of her books, it's the perfect time! Her other books include The Last American Man (nonfiction),Pilgrims (short stories), and Stern Men (novel).
Holley Wesley, Emmet O'Neal

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
Jason Baker, Trussville

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
Leslie West, Vestavia
The Vestavia Library is going green! Literally, with the new building, and in their summer reading programming. The library's book clubs will be discussing the book at their summer meetings and green and slow food programming will abound! Call Leslie for details, 205.978.3684!

Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master by Michael Sragow
Victor Fleming was the most sought-after director in Hollywood’s golden age, renowned for his ability to make films across an astounding range of genres–westerns, earthy sexual dramas, family entertainment, screwball comedies, buddy pictures, romances, and adventures. Fleming is remembered for the two most iconic movies of the period, Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, but the more than forty films he directed also included classics like Red Dust, Test Pilot, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Captains Courageous. Sragow restores the director to the pantheon of our greatest filmmakers and fills a gaping hole in Hollywood history with this vibrant portrait of a man at the center of the most exciting era in American filmmaking. The actors Fleming directed wanted to be him (Fleming created enduring screen personas for Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Gary Cooper), and his actresses wanted to be with him (Ingrid Bergman, Clara Bow, and Norma Shearer were among his many lovers).

Leslie West, Vestavia

Silent Stars by Jeanine Basinger

Through concise biographies, explorations of filmographies, and captivating still shots, Basinger offers remarkable insight into both the on- and offscreen lives of the cinema's first stars. Basinger shows an incredible knack for getting past the average movie fan's barriers to appreciating silent film actors: the larger-than-life acting style, frequently goofy plots, and general difficulty in finding films of all but a few luminaries like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Deft plot synopses, careful explanations of the skills needed for silent acting, and a genuine affection for the movies she's describing allow Basinger to give the reader a real sense of why these early actors were so beloved--and why they are so deserving of tribute. Equally engaging as browsing material or a cover-to-cover read, Silent Stars gives voice to both the sung and unsung pioneers of film.

Leslie West, Vestavia

Mother Night: Myths, Stories, and Teachings for Learning To See In the Dark by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD, is an internationally recognized scholar, award-winning poet, Diplomate senior Jungian psychoanalyst, and cantadora (keeper of the old stories in the Latina tradition.) The program Mother Night presents a new series of audio teachings from the Jungian psychoanalyst and author of Women Who Run With the Wolves. This six-session learning event invites us to tap the generative power of the goodness of the core self--that is, all creativity and understanding that lies out of sight in darkness--often called the unconscious. Throughout 11 hours of teaching stories, you'll hear 12 stories and myths told here for the first time along with Dr. Estés' commentary, Q & A sessions with her, and special prayers of blessing onto your hearts, bodies, minds, and souls. According to Dr. Estés, "The most endangered species on earth is the human soul.” Listen to these beautiful stories, told by Dr. Estes, and begin to heal your soul. All of her books are wonderful, in particular: Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, In the House of the Riddle Mother: The Most Common Archetypal Motifs in Women's Dreams, and How To Love a Woman: On Intimacy and the Erotic Life of Women.

Leslie West, Vestavia

Spirit Whisperer: Chronicles of a Medium by John Holland
In John Holland’s past books, he explained how he came to terms with, and learned to accept and embrace, his spiritual gifts as a psychic medium; and how “readers” could develop their own intuitive psychic abilities. In this book, John picks up the fascinating story of his personal journey of growth and development as one of the most respected practicing mediums today. This work chronicles his career to date and includes some enlightening and heartfelt real-life case studies. He candidly discusses readings with clients, including those who’ve had their own After Death Communications (ADCs)—from the outrageous to the profound. John also explains the signs and symbols that our loved ones continually try to send us. John divulges for the first time some of the extraordinary paranormal occurrences he’s witnessed throughout his career, and provides a rare glimpse behind the scenes of what it’s like to be a “Psychic Time Machine” for several television shows. He also provides guidance for parents who have a psychic child themselves.

Leslie West, Vestavia

Chess Doctor: Surefire Cures for What Ails Your Game by Bruce Pandolfini
Want to improve your chess game? Why of course you do. You may want to visit the Chess Doctor. This book is designed for chess players who have weaknesses in their game that they would like to improve. Every aspect of the game is covered in this book. Some of the problems addressed include: blocking your own forces, overusing the queen and attacking prematurely. Each problem is diagnosed and the Chess Doctor prescribes a cure. Filled with detailed diagrams, this book will surely help one to improve on their chess game.

Andrei T. Jones, Five Points West

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond
Any cookbook lover must check this one out! The author is a ex-city gal who falls in love with a country boy, starts a family, and learns how to make Southern food. She is also a photographer so the cookbook is sprinkled with beautiful pictures of her farm, her family and of course, food! One thing that I like best about this book is that the author includes photos every step of the way in making a particular dish. No more guessing if your creation looks like it is supposed to :-)

April Wallace, Irondale

Claiming Ground: A Memoir by Laura Bell
Laura Bell graduated from college in 1977 and found herself at loose ends, unable to find a passion or direction in life. A fateful summer trip to a Wyoming sheep ranch leads her to spontaneous seek employment there. So she spends the greater part of each year alone on a remote mountaintop with no electricity and the responsibility of tending 1,000 sheep, 2 dogs, and a horse. She goes on to other work over the years but it is the period of time she describes herding sheep that made me fall in love with this book. Here in Alabama, I am acquainted with a million different shades of green but her descriptions of the purples, whites, and ochers she was viewing at the time fired my imagination. I was almost ready to give up my librarian shoes and learn about sheep. This is one of the most beautiful books I've read in quite some time and I was compelled to email the publisher to ~~demand~~ inquire if they'd considered submitting it for a National Book Award. I was delighted to get an email back saying this book is on their shortlist! Everyone should read it!
Holley Wesley, Emmet O'Neal

F5: Devastation, Survival, and the Most Violent Tornado Outbreak of the Twentieth Century by Mark Levine
Katie Moellering, Emmet O'Neal

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
This book is great for someone looking for a self-help book that is too not hokey. The author is someone who isn't unhappy per say, but wants to try appreciating life more. She tackles one subject or area each month of the year. It was an easy read that offered helpful, realistic tips that a person can use in their day-to-day life.

April Wallace, Irondale

April also mentioned some authors that make fabulous summer reads (though be mindful of the content when suggesting them):
Jen Lancaster
Chelsea Handler
Celia Rivenbark

I See Rude People: One Woman's Battle To Beat Some Manners Into Impolite Society by Amy Alkon
Sally Sizemore, Hoover

Local Author Gin Phillips

2010-06-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

The Emmet O'Neal Library is delighted to announce that local author Gin Phillips will be joining the Emmet O'Neal Library's day book group, The Bookies, as they discuss her award-winning first novel, The Well and the Mine tomorrow morning at 10am at the library! Don't miss this opportunity to hear from a great local author and to participate in a great book discussion! For more information, contact the EOL Adult Svcs Desk at 205-445-1121!

Nonfiction of Choice next week!

2010-06-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

Make your plans now to join us for Reader's Advisory Roundtable next Wednesday June 9th at 9am at the Emmet O'Neal Library!

The topic is Nonfiction of Choice

RA Roundtable is geared towards Adult Services staff but everyone is invited and welcome! For more information contact Holley Wesley at 205/445-1117 or hwesley@bham.lib.al.us!

RA Webcast opportunity!

2010-05-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

WEBCAST NAME: 24/7 Readers' Advisory: Multichannel Delivery of Reading Recommendations
SPONSORED BY: NoveList and Library Journal
EVENT DATE: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 2:00 PM EDT – 60 minutes

Click here for more information!

We're on Facebook!

2010-05-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

Just look up "JCLC Reader's Advisory Roundtable" and send a friendship request!

Happy reading!

Holley

Young Adult Fiction with Appeal for Adult Readers

2010-04-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

At yesterday's meeting we heard from the lovely and talented Chandra Sparks Taylor, author of YA novels Spin It Like That, The Pledge, and the recently published The Promise. She shared with us her very inspiring story of the road to publication. Chandra is a freelance copy editor in addition to writing and shared that she is also available for teen writing workshops. Visit her website and book a speaking engagement with her today!

www.chandrasparkstaylor.com

Our blog is doing fairly well with 47 visits and 71 total page views in the past 30 days but we aren't stopping there! The JCLC Reader's Advisory Roundtable will soon have a presence on Facebook!

April found a provocative article discussing the idea of book ratings for children's and teen materials. In this article a passage from John Green and David Levithan's book, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, is mentioned out of context and used as an example to make the author's case.

On to the list! There is truly something for every reader, serious to silly, on this list so have a look and consider a display of these materials at YOUR library!

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Mondretta Williams, Leeds Library

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Sometime in the future , a 16-year old girl names Katniss Everdeen lives with her older sister and mother in North America in a place called District 12. People in District 12 are poor, and since her father’s death in a coal-mining accident , Katniss has had to hunt game with a bow and arrow to supplement her family’s meager supplies. District 12 is far from the Capitol City, Panem, a place Katniss never expects to visit .

Then comes the day of “reaping” when her beloved sister Prim is randomly chosen to represent District 12 in the annual Hunger Games. Immediately, Katniss steps forward and volunteers to take her sister’s place in the Games, which are held each year in the capitol. The Hunger Games have elements in common with the Olympics (coaches, training, and a spectacular opening ceremony) and with reality TV shows (constant cameras, obstacles, a manipulated environment in the arena.)

The purpose of these games is far more gruesome and terrifying. Of the 24 young people who compete, only one will survive. To win at the Hunger Games you must kill all your opponents, even if they become your friends.

Young adults and older adults will be riveted by Collins’ novel. The Hunger Games combines elements of an intense survival adventure with a story of friendship and love. But the book is more than a page-turner with a strong appealing heroine. The Hunger Games is a powerful and often disturbing story that is sure to spark intense discussion not just about Katniss Everdeen’s world, but about our own.
Mondretta Williams, Leeds Library

Jason Baker, Trussville Library

If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser
This story begins with a 12 year old boy, who lives in the projects surrounded by guns, drugs and violence. Readers will find themselves drawn to DeShawn’s story and hoping for a positive outcome by the end of the book.
April Wallace, Irondale Library

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Wintergirls is a gut-wrenching story that I highly recommend to anyone who knows someone who has/is struggling with an eating disorder. While reading this book you will live life through the eyes of an anorexic teenager whose thoughts and body image are so deluded she is on the road to permanently destroying her body.
April Wallace, Irondale Library

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Elizabeth Scott’s previous books are much lighter reads – this book takes is a disturbing look at a broken girl. It will haunt you, reading the story of “Alice,” a 15 year old girl who was abducted at the age of ten and has been living with her abusive captor even since.
April Wallace, Irondale Library

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Miles arrives to an Alabama boarding school (based on Pelham, AL’s Indian Springs school that John Green attended as a teen) looking for something to shake up his boring existence. Miles’ life is indeed changed when he meets Alaska Young, an adventurous, beautiful, charismatic yet somewhat self-destructive girl. John Green’s books are very clever and sophisticated; older teens may strongly relate to the stories, but adults can appreciate his writing, too.
April Wallace, Irondale Library

After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
This is a great story of a three 11 year old girls who become close friends in the Bronx in the mid 1990s. This title is a lovely story about friendship that will appeal to adults who themselves grew up in the 90s.
April Wallace, Irondale Library

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
Sex & the City fans will be thrilled to get their hands on this! This is a YA book that tells about Carrie Bradshaw’s teenage years growing up in a small town. It is a cute story that fans of the show will love but non-SATC viewers would enjoy, too.
April Wallace, Irondale Library

Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
Gina Robertson, Gardendale Library
Jason Baker, Trussville Library

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
Gina Robertson, Gardendale Library

The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney
Gina Robertson, Gardendale Library

Vampirates series by Justin Somper
Gina Robertson, Gardendale Library

Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
Gina Robertson, Gardendale Library

Dragonback Adventures series by Timothy Zahn
Fourteen year old Jack Morgan has been on his own for years and is now on the run after being framed for a crime he did not commit. During his escape attempt, he comes across a crashed spacecraft. Unbeknown to Jack, the only survivor is the K'da warrior Draycos. Draycos can only survive if he finds another host IMMEDIATELY and Jack becomes that host. He agrees to help Jack clear his name if Jack will help him find out who betrayed Draycos' people. Excitement, adventure, and great world building!
Holley Wesley, Emmet O'Neal Library

C.S.I. Intern At Your Own Risk manga series by Sekou Hamilton
Maya Jones, BPL West End Library

Vampire Knight manga series by Matsuri Hiro
Maya Jones, BPL West End Library

Maximum Ride manga series by James Patterson
Maya Jones, BPL West End Library

Dragon Jouster series by Mercedes Lackey
Maya Jones, BPL West End Library

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
To the outside world, Ed is not much to look at. He is 19 (though his employer thinks he’s 20), unathletic, ambivalent, unmotivated, and drives a taxi for a living. He has three good friends (Marv, Richie, and Audrey) with whom he plays cards occasionally. He has one exceptionally smelly dog, The Doorman. His more successful siblings have all moved out of this tiny Australian town, leaving him to the very strained relationship he maintains with their mother. He works, he sleeps, and he drinks coffee with The Doorman. That’s about it…until the first ace arrives in his mailbox. Three addresses are written on the playing card. Four aces equal twelve mysteries and Ed will find the answer to his questions only after he visits each one. This book, along with all Markus Zusak’s novels, is in our young adult collection but, for this one especially, I would recommend for mature readers only (language, sexual situations, violence, mature theme...does that sound too much like the MPAA?). I have avowed since my first reading of this book that I would place an "I Love Ed Kennedy" bumper sticker on my car just to see who got the reference. A perfect blend of reality and magical realism, I am the Messenger is a feel-good book though the ending does seem a bit forced, like Zusak got all the way to the last couple of pages and just wasn't sure what to do with it. Until that point, I was mesmerized. The language is gorgeous, even the angry bits, and littered with Australian...lingo? Colloquialisms? Whatever the word is. There are beautiful turns on phrase like "their voices slammed and the door shouted shut". I'm pulling that from memory so please allow for mistakes :-) Anyway, imagine a virtual standing ovation sound effect overlaying this discussion and you'll have my opinion!
Holley Wesley, Emmet O'Neal Library

Marie, Dancing by Carolyn Meyer
Fourteen-year-old Marie van Goethem is only truly happy on the ballet stage. Her family is starving because of her mother's constant drinking and her older sister's chronic selfishness while Marie works herself to the bone to make a living as a dancer. With her little sister coming up the ballet ranks behind her, Marie is desperate to provide both a better example than her older sister AND some income for the family. Her luck just may be changing now that she is posing for a sculpture for Edgar Degas. As she stands before him, Marie dreams of all that she desires from the world: a life without poverty, of being with her one true love, and of becoming a star of the ballet. Will Marie be able to overcome the obstacles before her and rise to fame and fortune on the ballet stage? This wonderful book tackles many of life's toughest choices while still leaving room for hope and dreams. Meyer also brings 19th century Paris to life for her readers, making this an apt choice for fans of Tracy Chevalier and Susan Vreeland.
Holley Wesley, Emmet O'Neal Library

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb
Helen has drifted around for the last 150 years haunting various humans for the length of their lives, yet never really bothering them. Today, for the first time in the great span, she feels someone looking at her. No one has EVER seen her since she died and the sensation of his eyes upon her is uncomfortable and disturbing. Helen - terrified, but intrigued - is drawn to the young man. The fact that he is in a body and she is not presents this unlikely couple with their first challenge. But as the lovers struggle to find a way to be together, they begin to discover the secrets of their former lives and of the young people they come to possess. Dark, heartbreaking, gothic, and sexy...this is a great book for older teens and any adult reader, AT ALL, who enjoyed the Twilight books or Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books.
Holley Wesley, Emmet O'Neal Library

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Sally Sizemore, Hoover Library

Eli the Good by Silas House
Eli, 10, spends the summer of 1976 riding bikes with his friend Edie, reading Anne Frank's diary, talking with his Aunt Nell, and watching his Vietnam-vet father experience flashbacks. He observes his mother trying to ride out various storms: 16-year-old Josie's rebellious attitude; the anger between her husband and his sister, Nell (who protested the war); and the flashes of violence and despair that wrack her spouse. Eli is curious, thoughtful, and not above eavesdropping or snooping through personal letters to find out things that his family would prefer to keep private. He learns that Nell came home with cancer; that he and Josie do not share a biological father; and how his father felt after killing a man in the war. Nell nicknames him Eli the Good, and he is. He is a decent kid, just trying to understand his family and the world around him. He makes mistakes, but he learns from them, and simply wants the best for those he loves. Silas House writes as beautifully and evocatively as he did in earlier adult novels. Atmosphere is lovingly described, the sights and sounds of the summers you experienced in your youth abound. He puts you there physically into the setting of each and every story. He lays out Eli's world in exquisite detail. A Bicentennial celebration, along with mentions of pop songs and clothing styles, sets the stage,and the story flows along, carrying readers and Eli to the end of summer and beyond, into a brief glimpse of his life as an adult.
Leslie West, Vestavia Library

House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Theresa Davis, Hoover Library

Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
Theresa Davis, Hoover Library

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Theresa Davis, Hoover Library

Angels Trilogy by Lurlene McDaniel
The Angels Trilogy is three stories (Angels Watching Over Me, Lifted Up By Angels, Until Angels Close My Eyes) in one volume by one author. Each story has angels, life issues, English and Amish.

Leah was very alone in her hospital room. Her mother and Leah's new step dad were in Japan on their honeymoon. Even though she just had a broken finger, Leah's doctor admitted her to the hospital. While there sixteen year old Leah met five year old Rebekah, her sister Charity and teenage brother Ethan. Her new friends were Amish -people she had heard of and maybe had seen but did not know. This "chance" meeting would change her world. To them, Leah was "English." Rebekah and Leah were roomies in the hospital and supported each other through difficult times. Both also met Molly and Gabriella. Molly was the nurse who cared and listened to her patients. Gabriella came to them at night and was with them when needed. But no one else knew her. She just was and they liked her. Leah liked Ethan very much as soon as she met him. He was also there when Leah had no family present during medical testing and trying news. Ethan was trying on the English ways but yet knew he was Amish. His identity was blurred and yet not. Leah was unsure of her identity, too, with divorce and abandonment family problems. They were from two very different worlds but both were having similar crises in their lives. When Leah spent a summer visiting Ethan's world she understood even more about being on the edge of Amish and English. Where did she belong? Where did he belong? Could they be together in one world or the other? Cancer appeared in two lives in these stories. This was a truly scary prospect for both and for those who loved them. Plans made were suddenly on hold. Lives were turned upside down. Ethan was there in the English world being a good worker and a calm voice of love and caring. And he must decide where he belongs and what he wants to do with his life. Ethan and Leah are two people very much in love and both searching for meaning and belonging.
Beth Hutcheson, Homewood Library

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
According to our narrator, Death, Liesl first became a book thief at the gravesite of her younger brother. On the way to the home of her fosterfamily, her brother dies and is buried. Liesl spots a book on the ground in the cemetery and steals it. Life with her foster family in Nazi Germany is certainly not easy. With all the deprivations war brings, not to mention the added drama of a young Jewish man hiding in their basement and her father already not in good standing with the Nazi party, Liesl must continually face challenges. Ultimately, this is a story of human survival amidst very difficult circumstances and a reminder thoughout of the power of words.
Marylin Sessions, Springville Road Library

Feed by M.T. Anderson
Set in the future, Anderson’s novel follows a group of teens in a world where almost everyone has been implanted with a computer chip at birth, a feed, which links their brains to the Internet; along with its constant advertisement-information barrage. The book’s two main characters are Titus, whose personality is like vanilla ice cream – he is easy-going and follows mainstream culture. Then he meets Violet, a home-schooled girl who shows Titus that “the feed” is watching him and he should analyze the feed, his life, and be much more critical of the media and consumerism. Adults will appreciate Feed’s satire, and its Orwellian (Big Brother) and Brave New World (Cloning) overtones. Anderson does a very good job mimicking teen dialogue and inventing his own, futuristic slang (unit = dude, mal = bad, really = meg, a pretty girl is "youch"). As the story progresses, Titus must reconcile his old perceptions of the “truth” and his world views with what he sees as Violet’s reality. The audio book version does an excellent job of re-creating the feed’s “broadcasts” in the character’s brains. The story is plausible enough that the possibility of some of its aspects becoming reality is quite unsettling, highly recommended for mature teens and adults.
Chris Roddy, East Ensley Library

The Navigator by Eoin McNamee
Leigh Wilson, North Birmingham Library

Meeting Reminder!

2010-04-19T09:47:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that we will be meeting next week Wednesday April 28th at 9am at the Emmet O'Neal Library in the Community Meeting Room right off the lobby!

We'll be discussing young adult fiction with appeal to adult readers PLUS we'll hear from special guest, young adult author Chandra Sparks Taylor!

I hope you can join us!

Happy reading!

Holley

the Alex Awards, in reverse!

2010-02-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

YALSA has a wonderful award for books published for adults which have appeal for young adult readers, the Alex Awards. At our next meeting, April 28, 2010 at 9am at the Emmet O'Neal Library, the RA Roundtable will be turning the Alex Awards upside down and discussing books published for young adults that have appeal for adult readers.

Look to J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer if you don't believe this crossover takes place!

If you'd like a bit of assistance in finding a suitable title, here are a couple of lists!

Publisher's Weekly online, "Adult Readers in the Kids' Section"

About.com: Bestsellers, "Top 7 Young Adult Books for Adults"

Amazon.com, "YA Books that Adults Can Appreciate"

SF Signal: MINDMELD, "Young Adult SF/F Books That Adults Will Like Too"

I'm having a hard time narrowing down my selections! A lot of these I've already read, but I love a good reread! Have you read any of the titles on these lists?

Happy reading!

Holley