A common request this time of year is for a "good scary book". Of course, different people mean different things by this. Some like the gory tale with a victim-chasing psycho-killer, while for others , a less obvious, psychological terror is what sends chills down their spines. The classic, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is a superb example of this later type of book, as I discovered when it was recommended to my book club several Octobers ago. This October I discovered a new book, The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Recently published, it shares several of the same traits. Hundreds Hall is the gothic mansion that has been in the Ayres family for two hundred years, and in post World Was II Britain, the family can no longer maintain it. But is there something more than the changing times to cause the decline of the family? What can explain the seemingly paranormal events? This is a great curl-up-on-the-sofa book to spend a chilly evening with.

In 1895, Swedish scientist and pacifist, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament presenting the largest share of his fortune for a series of prizes including the Peace Prize, to be awarded to the person "who has done the most for fraternity between nations...within the preceding year."
* 90 Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded since 1901...none were presented during World War I and II.
*120 Laureates have been awarded the Prize...97 to individuals and 23 to organizations.
*One Award has been shared among three persons: Yasser Arafat, Shimon Perez and Yitzhak Rabin.
*Mairead Corrigan at 32 years of age (1976) was the youngest person awarded the Nobel, and Joseph Rotblat at 87, the eldest. ( 1995)
*Of 97 individuals, only 12 were women: Bertha von Suttner (1905), Jane Addams (1931), Emily Greene Balch (1946), Betty Williams( 1976), Mairead Corrigan (1976), Mother Teresa (1979), Alva Myrdal (1982), Aung San Suu Kyi (1991), Rigoberta Mechu Tum (1992), Jody Williams (1997), Shirin Ebadi (2003) and Wangari Maathal ( 2004).
*The International Red Cross has been honored three times( the most for any organization), and its founder Henry Dunant was the first Nobel winner (1901).
*Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho is the only person who declined the prize.( 1973) Henry Kissinger also awarded the prize in the same year did accept his gift. Le Duc Tho refused the prize because of the situation in Viet Nam at the time.
*The only Peace Award presented posthumously was to Dag Hammarskjold in 1961.
*Each year the Norwegian Nobel Committee sends thousands of letters to " qualified and a select number of people requesting nominees." Though names of the latter are not revealed for 50 years, the number of nominees for any given year is announced.
*205 names for the 2009 Peace Prize were submitted: of that number 33 were organizations.
*Among the more famous statesmen nominated but not awarded the prize were:
Stalin, Anthony Eden, Churchill, FDR, Truman, Dwight David Eisenhower, Konrad Adenauer, Juan and Eva Peron, Gandhi, Nehru, and Mussonlini.
*Artists nominated but not awarded the Peace Prize were Tolstoy, Erich Maria Remarque and Pablo Casals.
*Jane Addams was nominated 91 times before she actually received the prize.
*The Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, Norway; all others are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.
During Nobel's lifetime Sweden and Norway were a united kingdom until 1905, the year Norway gained its independence.

***For a complete list of Nobel Prize winners and examples of their works, stop by our NOBEL DISPLAY in the Readers Services Area.

MC

Looking for a little inspiration in the wake of a dismal economy, stressful schedules and waning hours of sunlight? Mitch Albom's latest title, Have a Little Faith: A True Story (296.7 ALB) may be just the read for you. If you're familiar with some of Albom's previous works such as Tuesdays with Morrie or For One More Day , you will enjoy his moving look at faith and not just who believes, but why. Several years ago the author was asked by his hometown rabbi to deliver his eulogy, which through a chain of events, also leads him to a Detroit pastor with a rough past and incredible faith. Though representing two different religions, both men prove to be powerfully inspirational through their actions, as well as their motivational words. If you've ever needed reminding that when things seem bleak there is always someone else with a greater hardship to bear, read this book.

jdc

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Typical high school pranks and friendships are part of 16 year-old Miles’ freshman year at Culver Creek Preparatory School … until a fatal automobile accident irrevocably changes everything. This tragic, accurate, account of a teenager’s suicide is recommended for older teens. Listened to the audio ~ story bogged down midway.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Sixteen-year-old Gemma, a young India girl, is sent to boarding school in England after her mother dies (under mysterious circumstances). While at school she discovers her magical powers, such as her ability to see beyond the world of reality. A tale of magical realism with elements of romance and mystery. (YA)

The Lottery by Patricia Wood

What happens when a developmentally challenged young man wins Washington State’s Lottery ($12 M.); that is, how do people, including his horrible family, treat him ? Set in the Pacific Northwest, this sad but charming story is told from the point of view of Perry L. Cranall, a 31-year-old-man with an I.O. of 76. Wood keeps the reader in suspense until the story’s end and portrays a mentally challenged, fully functioning young man who is perhaps the wisest person in the whole book!

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan

A sweet, humorous story that depicts the "contest era" of fifties and sixties America. Terry Ryan, Evelyn's daughter, narrates the story of her indominatable , hard-working mother (10 children) who turned financial challenges into opportunities (saving the family from poverty) by creating witty prose and poetry ~ Listened to the audio which was good, but given all the poems, jingles, etc., reading the actual book might have been more enjoyable!

The Slippery Year: A Meditation on Happily Ever After by Melanie Gideon

Gideon’s memoir is a celebration of the joys and indignities of contemporary life. Upon reaching her mid-forties, Gideon stumbles upon the inevitability of her own mortality, and with this epiphany hopes to discover and create meaning in life’s ordinary activites. Humorous and entertaining.

Dawn Patrol by Don Winslow

SCPL owns CD only. This is a gritty mystery involving “hippie” surfer detective Boone Daniels. Obsessed with the unsolved case of a young girl, he stumbles upon an opportunity to make amends for the police department’s failure to clear this crime. Great descriptions and history of San Diego area.

The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

Humphreys’ lovely novel is comprised of 40 vignettes based on actual events that took place when the Thames froze during the years 1142-1895. Tales are rich with magic, hardships, fairs, the Plague, politics, love and honor. In a thoughtful, poetic style, Humphreys portrays the power of a thing so simple as ice to influence people’s lives and imaginations. Period art and lush designs add to this lovely, little book’s appeal. Don't miss it!

MC