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

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



marlise

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.

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

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

Ten years ago, the events of September 11th reshaped America.  The resulting changes have been captured in a wide range of memoirs, biographies and other nonfiction titles, and have also influenced much of the fiction literature written over the last decade.  Throughout the month of September you can browse many of these books on our special Library display, or view the booklist online.

Just a few months ago, I was fortunate to be in New York City and visit the site of the Twin Towers.  Without even making it to the actual memorial site, I found the experience to be very powerful as the emotions and images of 9/11 swept over me once again. 

It's not easy reliving those events, but it is worthwhile to make time to once again be grateful for - and honor - the bravery, heroism and self-sacrifice demonstrated by so many during those difficult days.

marlise

NPR recently ran a survey of the "Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy" books and the results are quite interesting!  See if you agree (and check how many you've read).  For even more fun: before you click the link -  try and guess which title got the #1 spot (hint: it is a fantasy classic).

marlise

Ah, the first snowfall of the year.  The current flurries may not have left much on the ground, but we all know it is just a matter of time!  So, before we are tired of the snow, I wanted to highlight some books I always enjoy: amazing photography of snowflakes.  You can also view the work of Kenneth Libbrecht (like the snowflake image above; used with permission) on the website snowcrystals.com

Snowflakes: Featuring the Amazing Micro-Photography of Kenneth Libbrecht
(779.3 LIB)

One of the highlights for me of the past three weeks has been watching the cleverly updated version of Sherlock Holmes on PBS.  There have been many incarnations of Sherlock Holmes and personal preference may have some saying Jeremy Brett is their favorite Holmes, while others may vote for Rupert Everett or even Basil Rathbone, but I'm now a die-hard fan of Benedict Cumberbatch.  Even more surprising to me is how much I was captivated by Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson, a character who has never really interested me before. Writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have done a fabulous job bringing these characters into a reality of cell phones and blogs while still maintaining the richness of the original stories. I also love the fast-paced dialogue and dark humor.  (The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a great summary for even more information).

If you missed any of the first three programs, you have until December 7 to watch them online - and the Library has ordered a copy of the DVD.  If you become hooked, as I predict you will, you might as well know now that further episodes are being filmed and won't be available until sometime in late 2011.  But while you wait, you might want to try some of the original Holmes "canon" in print by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  There are also some intriguing print variations on the Sherlock character, including Laurie R.King's popular series featuring Mary Russell who partners with a retired Sherlock (series begins with The Beekeeper's Apprentice), the more humorous homage to Holmes and Watson set in the American West in the late 1800s by Steve Hockensmith (start with Holmes on the Range), or the brand new mystery novel, The Strange Return of Sherlock Holmes by Barry Grant.

And finally, you might enjoy some other views on the cases of Sherlock Holmes, such as the book Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson (authored by Lyndsay Faye) or books about Doyle and the world of Holmes, including The Doctor and the Detective: A Biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Martin Book (B DOYLE), Conan Doyle, Detective: True Crimes Investigated by the Creator of Sherlock Holmes by Peter Costello (363.25 COS) and The World of Sherlock Holmes: The Facts and Fiction Behind the World's Greatest Detective by Martin Fido (823.8 FID).

marlise

 

Thinking about tomorrow's election reminds me of the Chinese citizen Liu Xiaobo who recently won the Nobel Prize for Peace. For expressing diverse political opinions in speech and writing, Mr. Xiaobo is now serving an eleven-year prison sentence which began in December of 2009. This "gentle subversive", who still remains optimistic about the growing strength of freedom and democracy throughout the world, has lost his voice. This man of peace is silenced: a punishment we Americans cannot begin to fathom. I cannot be silenced, I can speak out for my beliefs without fear of repercussion and...most important of all, I can vote!

mc