Read @ SCPL

Are You Ready for Some Football?

2012-02-02T22:57:39Z

I admit it: I'm not really that interested in who wins the Superbowl this year, but I'll still watch the game! Whether you can never get enough football, you're more of an occasional fan, or you are a "football widow" here are three books to check out:

America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation by Michael MacCambridge (796.33264 MAC)

Not as much a detailed history of football as a cultural look at how football became the most popular American sport - surpassing even baseball, which no one thought could ever happen. The author frames the narrative around key episodes in the history of the game (it opens with the legendary game between the Colts and Giants in 1958) and many of the fascinating personalities (players, coaches & owners) who have dominated the sport. A great read for anyone interested in gaining a "big picture" look at football's development.

Carlisle vs. Army: Jim Thorpe, Dwight Eisenhower, Pop Warner and the Forgotten Story of Football's Greatest Battle by Lars Anderson (796.33263 AND)

This account of one of college football's greatest contests was given a *Starred Review* by Booklist which called it, " A great sports story, told with propulsive narrative drive and offering a fascinating look at multiple layers of American popular culture."

When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss

Written by a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Sports Illustrated said this "may be the best sports biography ever published."

marlise

Newbery Winner 2012

2012-01-25T15:39:46Z

Jack Gantos has scored the 2012 Newbery Medal with Dead End in Norvelt.

This news made me smile. Gantos is, of course, a children's author as he wouldn't have won a Newbery if his books weren't intended for kids, but there is tangible depth and insight to his middle and high school books that I find very appealing.

A couple of years ago I discovered he'd written a memoir, Hole in My Life, which should be required reading for every teenage boy who might be looking for direction. Hole in My Life won the Printz award for excellence in Young Adult literature in 2003. Dead End in Norvelt takes the reader further back in Gantos' life, to the year 1962, when he was 12 and trying to grow up in a small town in western Pennsylvania. Two memoirs, two major awards - way to go, Jack Gantos!

For more information on Jack Gantos click here.

For a complete list of 2012 Newbery, Caldecott and Printz honorees and award winners click here.

Jane

Edgar Award Nominations

2012-01-19T17:05:33Z

Check out some of this year's fiction nominees for the 2012 Edgar Allan Poe Awards by the Mystery Writers of America:

BEST NOVEL

The Ranger by Ace Atkins
From an acclaimed, award-winning author comes an extraordinary new series about a real hero, and the real Deep South. "With terrific, inflected characters, and a dark, subtle sense of place and history, "The Ranger" is an exceptional novel."--John Sandford.

Gone by Mo Hayder
A carjacking goes from bad to horrifying in Hayder's gripping fifth thriller featuring Bristol Det. Insp. Jack Caffery and Sgt. Phoebe "Flea" Marley.

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
One of Japan's best-selling crime novelists makes his American debut in an atmospheric thriller about a desperate woman, Yasuko, who, craving a peacefull life with her daughter, Misato, kills her abusive lout of an ex-husband.

1222 by Anne Holt
From Norway's bestselling crime writer comes a suspenseful locked-room mystery set in an isolated hotel where guests who are stranded during a monumental snowstorm begin turning up dead.

Field Gray by Phillip Kerr
Kerr's seventh Bernie Gunther thriller, starring the cop turned PI in 1930s Germany who landed in Argentina and then Cuba after the war, finally answers in full the question that has been hovering around the edges of the series all along: What did you do during the war, Bernie?

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

Red on Red by Edward Conlon
NYPD detective Conlon follows up his first-class memoir, Blue Blood, with this superb first novel. Set in upper Manhattan's Dominican-dominated Washington Heights, it is a police procedural with a potent mix of strong story line, police jargon, crisp dialog, black humor, bleakness, gangs, drugs, shootings, murders, and suicide, with complicated romances thrown in.

Last to Fold by David Duffy
Duffy's promising debut introduces Turbo Vlost, a gulag survivor who later worked as an undercover man for the KGB until the Soviet Union's breakup. Now living in New York City, Vlost works at finding things for people.

All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen
This startling novel opens on an aging Interpol agent taking his heart medicine and thinking of retirement. But Henri Poincare can't resist one more case: a mathematician is killed in a puzzling explosion in an Amsterdam hotel.

Bent Road by Lori Roy
Set in the mid '60s, Roy's outstanding debut melds strong characters and an engrossing plot with an evocative sense of place.

Purgatory Chasm by Steve Ulfelder
Ulfelder couples precise, evocative prose with an original private investigator in his compelling hard-boiled debut.

For a list of all nominees, please see their press release (pdf).

marlise

The Joy of Books

2012-01-11T19:53:16Z

This magical stop motion video (made at Type Books of Toronto) has been making the rounds on the Internet, but it's worth posting again - not only for the smile it will put on the face of any book lover, but in admiration of the effort that was put into the making of it.

P.S. We're sure the books in the Library get up to similar antics during closed hours!

marlise

The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes

2012-01-05T17:54:24Z

In this age of fast-moving technology, it's interesting to take a moment to appreciate a book that explores one of the last few inhabited spots on the planet that is not "infected" by this phenomenon. Journalist Scott Wallace's new title is a fascinating account of recent expeditions into the heart of the Amazon led by explorer Sydney Possuelo and while on assignment for National Geographic. One of the last primitive tribes, the Arrow People remain...

The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes

Surprisingly, the ultimate goal of the group on this adventure was not to actually make contact but rather to avoid it all together. How this is accomplished is a trick in itself. A modern-day trip back in time to the lush and wild.

Jill

Staff Reads

2011-12-23T16:14:11Z

An end-of-the-year installment of titles our Staff have been enjoying!

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

At Westish College (Wisconsin) on the shores of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander has big-league dreams for stardom until an ordinary throw swerves off course thereby altering the lives of five people. Yes, it is a baseball story - but so much more!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Engaged in a fierce competition they have prepared for since childhood, magicians Celia and Marco unexpectedly fall in love with each other. They share a beautiful, poignant romance filled with magical and fateful results. Young Adults may also enjoy.

1105 Yakima Street by Debbie Macomber

In the 10th installment in her Cedar Cove series, skilled author Macomber creates another charming, romantic story with soothing charm and warmth. New fans will be enchanted and loyal ones will not be disappointed.

The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood

Dr. Ellie Sullivan finds herself the target of a shady couple after she witnesses the murder of an FBI officer. Romance appears when Agent Max Daniels swears to protect her until she takes the witness stand. Garwood's popular style - a mix of fast pacing, danger and humor - are all in evidence.

Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America by Jim Murphy ( J 974.71 MUR)

Using eyewitness accounts and newspaper articles of the "hurricane" snow storm that hit the Northeast in 1888, author Jim Murphy narrates the devastating impact the cold and snow had on people's lives. A compelling story with solid information suitable for nine-year-olds and up.

Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues: A Jesse Stone Novel by Michael Brandman

This new installment to Parker's best-selling series finds Paradise, Massachusetts police chief Jesse Stone investigating a series of car thefts in his usually quiet town. The ensuing violence and some personal issues challenge his efforts at returning peace to Paradise and his personal life as well.

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

Though not an easy, quick read, Schiff's rich biography of perhaps the most intriguing woman in history should not be missed! What is exceptional about this tale is its fascinating, informative context in which Schiff reveals her heroine to be a woman who uses her wits, power and wealth to forge political and military alliances rather than her beauteous charms which past biographers have emphasized.

The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee

What makes Lee's Korean War story so palpable and haunting is not only its horrific portrayal of war but the intertwining stories Lee weaves though his characters lives once the war has ended. The reader is filled with immense sorrow: there is little glory but Lee does explore themes of redemption, honor and forgiveness and offers some hope.

Mary

Patron Picks - December Edition

2011-12-14T16:34:39Z

Another blog "installment" sharing some of the titles our patrons have been talking about and recommending!

The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Denmark's best-selling crime writer makes his American debut with this first novel.

1945 by Robert Conroy
A compelling alternate history based on a terrifying idea: what if Japan hadn't surrendered after the atom bomb attacks?

Teed Up for Love by Barbara Weitz
Lighthearted, funny, romantic story written by a local author and set in Chicago.

A Stricken Field by Martha Gellhorn
A fascinating historical fiction novel by one of the most widely read-female war correspondents of the twentieth century.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
Wonderfully crafted short stories about relationships from this best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

Nonfiction

A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage (394.12 STA)
A fun exploration of the significant role that six beverages have played in the world's history.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Lauren Hillenbrand (940.54252 HIL) - A page-turning read that everyone seems to enjoy; also makes for a good title to listen to if you like audiobooks.

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (951.9305 DEM)
Follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years - a fascinating look at what is is like living under such a repressive totalitarian regime.

If you have a book to recommend, please stop by and share it with the Readers Services Staff!

marlise

Good news for Goodreads!

2011-12-05T19:22:34Z

If you use Goodreads to keep track of what you're reading, here's news that might be of interest: now you can link directly to the St. Charles Public Library catalog under the "Get a copy" option!

As you can see in this screenshot, St. Charles Library has been added under "Book Links."

To add us to your Bookreads account, first, click "More..." and then under "Find this book at" click "customize order."

Now look for St Charles Public Library (IL) in the list of "popular links" (we find it easiest to sort them alphabetically and then go to about page 5).

If you have any questions about this process, please contact Reader Services.

marlise

Anne McCaffrey

2011-11-23T18:31:58Z

There was sad news last week ago for Science Fiction and Fantasy readers: prolific and award-winning (she was the first woman to win a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award) author Anne McCaffrey passed away.

As soon as I read the news, I went to the shelf to find my own beloved copy of Dragonsong. It occurs to me now that this was probably one of the first books I ever bought for myself as a young adult and I have often re-read it over the years when I wanted an enchanting comfort read.

As I resisted sitting down and immediately re-reading it, I also realized that - in addition to the story itself - I have also always been drawn in by the wonderful artwork on the cover by Elizabeth Malczynski. I also noticed the note I wrote on the upper right corner: "read this first." Clearly at some point I loaned several titles by McCaffrey to someone (Dragonsong is just one in the large Pern series) and felt it was important they begin with my favorite!

I think every reader has a few special authors that for whatever reason become beloved. Anne McCaffrey is certainly one of mine and I'm sorry she will no longer be creating her magical worlds.

marlise

Featured YA Display: Trips in Time - Historical Fiction

2011-11-23T17:36:01Z

Our newest YA display Trips in Time highlights gems from our Historical Fiction collection (located at the top of the mezzanine staircase, under the frog sculpture) features titles sure to transport you to adventurous and bygone places and events. Well-researched historical fiction has the ability to offer readers a sampling of days of old, whether they be set during the Civil, Revolutionary, or World Wars, a plague village set in 1666 England, travels on a pirate ship, or even the sinking of the Titanic. Strong characters inhabit these places and draw us in, almost letting us believe that we too are experiencing life somewhere, someplace long ago.

Enjoy your travels this holiday season as you transport yourself to someplace old, though new to you.

Jill

November Titles to Check Out

2011-11-16T22:32:43Z

Two intriguing titles are out this month based on historic November anniversaries:

November 22, 1963 changed the United States forever. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in his motorcade, and a broken-hearted America has spent nearly 50 years remembering and speculating about the tragic events in Dallas. In his latest novel, mega-best-selling writer Stephen King asks a fascinating question: What if you could go back in time and change that day? More specifically: What if you could save JFK? In 11/22/63, an English teacher travels back to 1958 and begins a quest to alter history. Space and time are placed on the line in King's thought-provoking and much-anticipated novel. Remember this iconic moment in history with a truly imaginative, harrowing read.

The only unsolved airline hijacking in American history occurred on November 24, 1971. The suspect, a man using the name D.B. Cooper, has remained unidentified since the fateful day when he collected a ransom of $200,000 and parachuted from a rear exit door of the hijacked Boeing 727. The FBI investigation has gone on for 40 years, and the man behind the crime became a legend. Geoffrey Gray's Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper delves into this great American mystery and the tumultuous period in which it occurred. With Nixon in the White House, war raging in Vietnam and social unrest at home, Cooper came to be regarded as something of a Robin Hood-esque figure. The still-perplexing questions about what happened to this shadowy figure when he jumped from the plane will fascinate true-crime fans.

I Heard That!

2011-11-07T17:32:25Z

Here are some new audio books I have recently enjoyed.

Nightwoods is Charles Frazier's (Cold Mountain) long awaited new release. Set in the mountains of North Carolina in the 1960s, it is the story of Luce, a young woman who is charged with raising the troubled twins of her murdered sister. Twins + murder + backwoods = Drama! Expertly narrated by veteran reader Will Patton.

The Affair is the latest from Lee Child in his Jack Reacher series. It is actually a prequel. Fast paced, exacting and suspenseful with excellent narration by Dick Hill (who has read all the other Reacher novels).

The Submission by Amy Waldman. This tour de force of literary fiction is about a representative Manhattan jury who must choose a 9/11 memorial from anonymously submitted designs. Questions arise when it is leaked to the press that the winning designer is an architect from Virginia. Oh, and he's Muslim. Kudos to narrator Bernadette Dunne for her even-tempered delivery.

The Night Circus. Erin Morgenstern's debut is a wonderfully rich, turn of the 20th century fantasy. Magicians, lovers, rivals, performers, disappearances - all under the big top - but only at night. Who else but Jim Dale could bring out the magic of this delightfully layered novel?!

And here's a bonus track for all you audio book fans. It's an article from NPR and George Guidall is in it!

Jane

A Halloween Treat

2011-10-31T13:53:14Z

Today is not just Halloween, it is the 85th anniversary of the death of Harry Houdini. So, ladies and gentlemen! Introducing a quick round up of just a few of the many interesting books and other items about this fascinating man and magician:

The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero by William Kalush (B HOUDINI)

Houdini: The Handcuff King by Jason Lutes (very cool graphic novel; 793.8 LUT)

Houdini!: The Career of Ehrich Weiss: American Self-Liberator, Europe's Eclipsing Sensation, World's Handcuff King and Prison Breaker by Kenneth Silverman.

A timeline of Houdini's life and other items of interest from the PBS "American Experience:Houdini" (the Library has it on order).

From Houdini's scrapbook: a Scene and Prop. List

You can even listen to Houdini explaining one of his famous stunts, the Water Torture Chamber (found in the Internet Archive).

marlise

Staff Read: Still Missing

2011-10-20T22:30:19Z

In Still Missing, a thirty-two year old realtor named Annie is abducted by a man ("David") who arrives at the last minute at an open house. He holds her captive in a mountain cabin from which there is no escape. Her survival depends upon her keeping David happy while he micromanages every aspect of her life. Annie's terror is multiplied after she gives birth to David's child and, although the child's father is a "monster," Annie loves the baby and is afraid that he will harm the helpless infant.

Adding to the suspense is that we learn the details of Annie's captivity entirely from her point of view as she tells her story. This book is not for the squeamish. There is sex and violence and a jaw-dropping twist at the end. It's terrifying, but I had to read it until I finished.

Carol L.

Treat Yourself ~ To a Scary Read

2011-10-12T20:06:02Z

It's that time of year again when people seem to crave books that ratchet up the fear factor. If you're looking for ideas, stop by the "Powers of Detection" display in Reader Services focusing on investigations of the supernatural in fiction and nonfiction. You can also revisit some past lists we've created for the season - featuring everything from "Not So Scary" to "Terrifying Tales"- on our Holidays / Seasonal page of book lists (scroll down to Halloween).

Those who are avid readers of darker fiction (from horror to thrillers and suspense) will want to check out the online magazine, Dark Scribe Magazine - which describes itself as featuring "the books that keep you up at night." Horror World's Book Reviews will also provide plenty of titles.

So settle in with a scary read - but first make sure to lock the doors and turn on some extra lights!

Marlise