Weekly LitLib Weblog
Dates: 5/13/02,12:32 PM through 8/31/02,1:17 PM (15 postings)
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Fiction_L Archives
Weekly LitLib Weblog
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FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 5/13/02, 12:32 PM
REFERENCES
* How To Write An Article About Architecture: Links to Great
Buildings Collection online and explains how to use the website to
develop background and a knowledge base for an interview with an
architect. Good resource for anyone interested in architecture.
* _Found_ Magazine showcases 'found' items like photos, doodles,
lists, and notes.
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS
* Dennis Lehane, good interview of this crime writer from The Drood
Review
* Poet Derek Walcott interviewed in the New York Times Magazine on
Odysseus, tragedy, comedy, and 9/11.
* Four Crime Writers Talk About Their Brooding, Urban, Nouveau-Noir
Mysteries: Americans George Pelecanos (Hell to Pay), Dennis Lehane
(Mystic River), and Michael Connelly (City of Bones), and Brit Ian
Rankin (Edinburgh-based Inspector Rebus series) discuss their
writing and worldviews.
* Carol Shields, Canadian author of the novel _Unless_
BOOK REVIEWS /AWARDS / EXCERPTS/ NEWS
*Anne Rice's 'The Witching Hour' Trilogy Will Be 12-hour mini-series
on NBC in Fall 2002 or Spring 2003.
* Dinotopia Series on TV NOW: Six-hour 'Wonderful World of Disney'
mini-series 'Dinotopia,' based on James Gurney's books, aired last
night and also tonight and tomorrow nights, 13 and 14 May, from 8-10
pm each night.
* Book Excerpt: _The Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon_, by Tim
LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, the 10th in the 'Left Behind' apocalyptic
series
* Hot Forthcoming Fiction: Donna Tartt's _The Little Friend_, her
first since the sensational The Secret History [which was fabulously
creepy and intriguing] in 1992; _Middlesex_, by Jeffrey Eugenides
(The Virgin Suicides); _July, July_, Tim O'Brien's first
post-Vietnam novel; Paul Auster's _The Book of Illusions_; Irvine
Welsh's _Porno_; Zadie Smith's follow-up to White Teeth, _The
Autograph Man_; Annie Proulx's _That Old Ace in the Hole_; and
Michel Faber's 'forthcoming doorstopper,' _The Crimson Petal and the
White_ ('a Dickens for our time').
* Bestselling Thriller Writer David Baldacci Wins Injunction Against
Mystery Anthology that displays his name too prominently on the cover.
* One City, One Book New York: New Yorkers Still Can't Decide on One
Book. The story behind the two major factions, including the
librarians and booksellers who have disbanded from the organising
group.
* MTV's 'Osbournes' Move to Books: Two authorized books from Simon &
Schuster will be published over the next year, about the Osbourne
family members. Also: Random House is publishing an unauthorized
biography, on sale 23 July.
* French Author Wins 2002 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for cult novel
_Atomised_ (also published in translation as _The Elementary
Particles_), dsecribed by the judges as "'a bleak yet often humorous
portrayal of modern life as viewed by the novel's two protagonists
-- half-brothers with wildly different personalities seeking wildly
different goals.'" Nominations were made by over 120 public
libraries in 38 countries worldwide.
* Follow In Tolkien's Footsteps (Literally): Article names places
Tolkien lived, visited, researched, and wrote; most link to further
info.
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES (see also MAINE, below)
* Intellectual Copyright: A group of law and technology scholars is
setting up Creative Commons, a nonprofit company that will develop
ways for artists, writers and others to easily designate their work
as freely shareable
EDUCATION
* Patrick Henry College (VA) Is Denied Accreditation Because It
Teaches Creationism: School's Statement of Biblical Worldview states
that all courses will be taught with the understanding that God
created the world in six 24-hour days
MAINE
* Boothbay Region High School Librarian Francie Aley Named Maine
School Library Media Specialist Of The Year: She's developed an
award-winning library media center and school web site
(home.gwi.net/brhs/) and has taught hundreds students and faculty
members library, research, and web skills.
* Portland Public Library Considers Renovation: Community survey and
feasibility study already in the works. Ideas include more books on
tape, more videos, new, expanded children's section and storytelling
room, more prominent and welcoming entrance, updated exterior,
energy-efficient heating and cooling system, open spiral staircase
in the center of the building.
------
~ Molly Wms.
Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us
[removed]@adelphia.net
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 5/20/02, 3:20 PM
Weblog: http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS:
* Paul Vermeersch, Toronto poet and editor.
* Joseph Wambaugh, most recently author of the non-fiction _Fire Lover_
BOOK REVIEWS /AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* Three Mysteries with Middle Eastern Settings Reviewed
* Joseph Wambaugh's Non-Fiction _Fire Lover_ reviewed; about a
California fire investigator 'who specialized in arson in more ways
than one.'
* Mysteries and Thrillers Reviewed: Barbara Franchi's 'Reviewing the
Evidence' website provides 10 new reviews of mystery and thriller
novels every week or so.
* Publishing Houses Beginning to Target Hispanic Population;
Librarians Drive Sales
* Sources for Buying Cuban Books (Yes, It's Legal)
* Uzbekistan Is Pulping Literary Classics for Toilet Paper and Egg
Cartons
* Profile of Victor Hugo
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES (see also MAINE, below)
* How To Fix the UK's Libraries (Are they broken?)
* Proposed Cuts to Rochester (NY) Public Library System
* Librarian Obituary: Kenneth A. Lohf, Rare Books Librarian at
Columbia University
* York (Maine) Public Library Budget Soundly Rejected By Voters,
likely to cause cut in opening hours. Other York budgets rejected as
well.
MEDIA
* Difficulties of reporting the news to Afghans in Afghanistan
REFERENCES / COMPUTERS
* U.S. History/Education: New Deal Network, resources for studying
the Great Depression, the 1930s, and the Roosevelt Administration.
Includes Lesson plans.
* Laptops and Micronotebooks discussed (with prices)
* How To Be A Better Google Searcher
MAINE
* York (Maine) Public Library Budget Soundly Rejected By Voters,
causing cut in opening hours. Other York budgets rejected as well.
* Maine's Children Museum (Portland) Is Adding Major New Camping
Display, funded by LL Bean and International Paper Co.
FOR FUN
* Mario Andretti's Tip for Commuting
------
~ Molly Wms.
Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us
[removed]@adelphia.net
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 5/29/02, 1:19 PM
-------
29 May Wednesday
Go here http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for these stories:
* Author Interview: Conversation with Ethan Canin, author of the
novel _Carry Me Across the Water_, about August Klineman, a German
born Jew who builds a successful brewery in America.
* Book Reviews:
...Joseph Frank's Dostoevsky: The Mantle of the Prophet, 1871-1881:
*Book Excerpts:
... _Midnight Voices_ by John Saul, a horror/thriller novel set in a
Central Park West apartment building.
... _Don't Believe Your Lying Eyes_ by Blair S. Walker, another
mystery featuring Baltimore newspaper reporter Darryl Billups.
*Big Book Deals - Fiction and Non-Fiction
* Book Club: The Chicago Tribune's WomenNews section is launching an
online book club. Its first book will be Carol Shield's _Unless_
* Online Spelling Test in honour of the National Spelling Bee.
* Author Obituarys:
... Mildred Wirt Benson, who wrote the first Nancy Drew mysteries,
died yesterday at the age of 96.
... Stefan Augustin Doinas, prolific Romanian poet. One day after
his death, his wife, Irinel Liciu, once one of Romania's most
celebrated ballerinas, committed suicide.
*Interview with Project Gutenberg Founder Michael S. Hart, whose
enterprise provides free electronic editions of public domain books
over in the Internet.
* British University Uses Online Mystery To Teach Collaborative Writing
* [Mostly] Book-Related Lists from McSweeney's Books, with new lists
posted on Mondays. Interesting and offbeat. Also: a well-annotated
list (with websites) of 100 independent bookstores in the U.S. that
carry McSweeney's print journal and books; great source for finding
smaller stores.
* Literature: Jane Austen 'Types': Ron Rosenbaum's New York Observer
column this week returns to musings on Jane Austen, and on
Northanger Abbey in particular.
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25-28 May Saturday-Tuesday
And here's a sampling of what you just missed:
Go here http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog5222802.htm for the
stories below:
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS:
* Brian Jacques (Redwall series) Recovering from Stroke; has two new
Redwall books coming out -- _Loamhedge_ (fall 2003) and _Triss_
(September 2002), as well as an autobiography _A Divvil of a Lad_
* Randall Jarrell: An essay on Jarrell by Ernest Hilbert, two
Jarrell poems, and an audio recording of Jarrell reading his own work
BOOK REVIEWS /AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* Book Review/Maine: Julia Spencer-Fleming's _In the Bleak
Midwinter_, a debut novel published this year by a Saco resident, is
a murder mystery set in the small upstate New York town of Millers Kill
* Book Review: Timothy Schaffert's _The Phantom Limbs of the Rollow
Sisters_, a debut novel, is a 'spirited, offbeat little book' about
two idiosyncratic sisters living together in rural Nebraska.
* Book Review: Stephen Carter's _The Emperor of Ocean Park_, a legal
thriller about black upper class America
* Book Review: _The Count and the Confession_ by John Taylor: This
non-fiction book examines the case of the 1992 death of Roger de la
Burde -- a former Philip Morris research scientist and wealthy
collector of African and contemporary art -- on his 220-acre horse
farm on the James River outside Richmond, Virginia.
* Mystery Books for Summer: Book Sense lists their Summer Mystery
Top 10
* eBooks: Dead or Read?: That's the question Bob McDowall asks at
IT-Analysis.Com
* Literary Festivals/Boycotts: Hay-On-Wye Literature Festival
BOOKSELLING / PUBLISHING
* More Barnes & Nobles and Borders Books & Music to be built
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES (see also MAINE, below)
* Why A Public Library Is The Perfect 9/11 Monument, an essay by
Roger Rosenblatt -- Read it!
* A reference librarian and a police detective who love mystery
novels and who together regularly present seminars on mysteries to
adult groups.
* Mandatory Fees vs. Conscience Box?
* Library Newsletters: Going Electronic: Detailed article on how to
do it, with illustrations.
* Multnomah Library (OR) Loses Out on Funds Due to Low Voter Turnout
* Portsmouth Public Library (NH) Chooses Architect: The Boston-based
architectural firm of Amsler Woodhouse MacLean Architects Inc. will
build Portsmouth's new library.
EDUCATION:
* Laptops, a collection of Portland Press Herald articles on the
laptops-for-7th-graders issue in Maine
* GetNetWise, created by corporations like Microsoft and AOL Time
Warner along with the American Library Association and the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is a site that helps
parents and children find reliable information about safe Internet use
MAINE
* Laptops, a collection of Portland Press Herald articles on the
laptops-for-7th-graders issue
* The Bangor News now requires (free) registration before viewing
full news stories AND now features a new column, 'Maine Bound,' with
reviews of books by Maine authors or with Maine settings.
* Weather reporter Marty on the Mount coming down from Mt. Washington
------
~ Molly Wms.
Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us
[removed]@adelphia.net
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 6/3/02, 2:30 PM
Go here http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for these stories:
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AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS:
... Author Interview: Paul Zindel, playwright and author of young
adult novels, winner of this year's Margaret A. Edwards Award for
lifetime contributions to young people's literature.
... Indian writer Arundhati Roy writes about living 'Under the
Nuclear Shadow.'
... Maine Writers Index Addition: Horror writer, Birch Harbor
(Maine) resident T.M. Gray
... Author Interview: Aldo Alvarez, a Puerto Rican born writer whose
debut short story collection is titled Interesting Monsters.
BOOK REVIEWS /AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
... 2002 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards winners have been announced.
... Children's Books: Books to Watch: The American Booksellers
Association offers this detailed listing of up-and-coming children's
books, including fiction, picture books, history and culture, fun
books, and books about growing up.
... ReadCarolinas, sponsored by the North Carolina Charlotte
Observer, has chosen as its first book the novel Nowhere Else on
Earth by Josephine Humphreys
... Reading: Why Boys Don't Read, an article by children's author
Jon Scieszka, whose website, www.guysread.com, offers help
(including specific book titles as well as general ideas) for
encouraging boys to read for fun.
... Mystery Reviews: And Then You Die by Michael Dibdin; Vertical
Burn by Earl Emerson; Something Borrowed, Something Black by Loren
Estleman.
... Book Review: Elizabeth Gilbert's Biography of Woodsman Eustace
Conway, titled The Last American Man
... Mystery Booklists: Barnes & Noble has cool ways to generate your
own mystery booklists, including lists of books set in major world
and U.S. cities, and books set in specific time periods.
... Review of _Two Gardeners: A Friendship in Letters_, a collection
of correspondence between Katharine S. White (E.B. White's wife) and
Elizabeth Lawrence.
BOOKSELLING / PUBLISHING
... Amazon Canada Launch Date Set for 25 June 2002.
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES
... Preview of American Library Association Conference, 13-19 June
in Atlanta, GA.
... Effective Internet Use Policies: The June issue of "Computers in
Libraries" offers a detailed article about planning and writing an
effective internet use policy
... Advice from a Veteran: Ten quick tips for new school librarians.
... Librarian Obituary: School Media Specialist Dorothy J. Quinlan
read thousands of books out of a combined sense of duty and
unbounded curiosity
... New 126,000 square-foot Eugene (OR) Library To Open in December
EDUCATION:
... Reading: Why Boys Don't Read, an article by children's author
Jon Scieszka, whose website, www.guysread.com, offers help
(including specific book titles as well as general ideas) for
encouraging boys to read for fun.
REFERENCES/RESOURCES
... Finding Antique/Heirloom Plants online
... Netscape 7.0 browser available for free preview.
... Maine Black History Resources, from Visible Black History.
References to many print resources and some online resources,
including books, archives & libraries, dissertations & theses, black
genealogy, cultural centers & restaurants, black heritage & tours,
and the underground railroad in Maine.
MAINE
... Maine Writers Index Addition: Horror writer, Birch Harbor
(Maine) resident T.M. Gray
... Review of _Two Gardeners: A Friendship in Letters_, a collection
of correspondence between Katharine S. White (E.B. White's wife) and
Elizabeth Lawrence. (The Whites lived in Brooklin, Maine.)
... Maine Black History Resources, from Visible Black History.
References to many print resources and some online resources,
including books, archives & libraries, dissertations & theses, black
genealogy, cultural centers & restaurants, black heritage & tours,
and the underground railroad in Maine.
------
~ Molly Wms.
Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us
[removed]@adelphia.net
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FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 6/10/02, 11:53 AM
Go here http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for these stories:
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AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS:
* Essay: Tracy Chevalier on Writing (_Girl With a Pearl Earring_,
_Falling Angels_)
BOOK REVIEWS /AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* Reading Group Guides: Over 40 new online reading group guides
added at ReadingGroupGuides.Com
* All-Time Bestselling Authors and Books: The Internet Public
Library offers lists of the bestselling books of all time; the
world's top selling fiction, non-fiction, and children's books of
all time; and the all-time bestselling children's and fiction authors
* Reviews: Three mysteries reviewed by Lev Raphael: Simon Worrall's
_The Poet and the Murderer_, about a Massachusetts
librarian-turned-sleuth; Jeffrey Freedman's 'scholarly' _A Poisoned
Chalice_, set in 18th century Zurich; and James Ruddick's _Death at
the Priory_, about a case of poisoning in Victorian England.
* Review: Jane Urquhart's _The Stone Carvers_
* Reviews: Crime novels reviewed: James Lee Burke's _Jolie Blon's
Bounce_, Tim Dorsey's _Triggerfish Twist_, Lee Child's _Without
Fail_, Lyn Hamilton's _The Etruscan Chimera_ (an archaeological
mystery), and Earl Emerson's _Vertical Burn_.
* Review: _Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident_ by Eoin Colfer
* Awards: Samuel Johnson Prize (for non-fiction) shortlist announced.
* Review and Excerpt: _Jolie Blon's Bounce_ by James Lee Burke
BOOKSELLING / PUBLISHING
* Great Demand for Online Booksellers: "Abebooks now links some
10,000 used- and rare-book dealers worldwide, each paying a monthly
subscription according to how many titles they put online. Abebooks
currently lists more than 38 million books, with 50,000 to 100,000
added every day. Lots more.
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES
* The Jackson-George (Mississippi Gulf Coast) Regional Library
System's 'Top 10 Books' List posted (most circulated books). IF YOUR
LIBRARY POSTS AN ONLINE 'TOP 10' LIST, PLEASE SEND ME THE LINK!
* Cuba's Private Libraries Test Freedoms: Librarians and readers
harassed as independent lending rooms offer books and magazines not
available in state-run libraries.
* Minnesota State Library Agency Eliminated, six of nine positions
eliminated.
* Electronic Collections: Recent survey shows that a minority of
libraries and museums are involved in projects to make traditional
materials available to users in a digital format, such as a CD-ROM
or online.
REFERENCE
* Current Events: Kashmir Crisis: The BBC News special section on
India, Pakistan, and their dispute over Kashmir. Offers the latest
news, bulletins, and a Q&A on the issues involved.
* Mental Health: The Phobia List is exactly that: a list of phobias,
in alphabetical order, from Ablutophobia (Fear of washing or
bathing) to Zoophobia (Fear of animals).
* History: Medieval Sieges explored on the PBS Nova companion
website to the TV program 'Medieval Siege,' "scheduled to
rebroadcast on Tuesday, July 16, 2002. Life in a castle, building a
trebuchet, etc.
------
If you have news to share, please send it!
~ Molly Wms.
Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us
[removed]@adelphia.net
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 6/18/02, 1:31 PM
Go here http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for these stories:
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AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS:
* Interview: Grace Paley: Short story writer and poet Grace Paley,
who lives now in Vermont, is interviewed about her life as a
'reader, writer, and activist.'
BOOK REVIEWS /AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* Check out our new Golfing Mysteries Booklist
* Mystery Reviews: Books by Mary Higgins Clark, Mary Daheim,
Hazel Holt, Denise Mina, Bill Moody, Peter Tremayne, others,
* Recent book deals, including debut authors and Jasper Fforde,
Linda Lael Miller, David Ellis, Susan Werlinich, Marla Cilley (the
FlyLady), Malcolm Gladwell, and Jim Bouton
* Article on the changing canon of literature about discrimination,
prejudice, and race. Includes several book lists.
* Get a free literary map of New York City.
* Crime Fiction Reviews: Book Reviews: Funny Money by James Swain;
Twelve Mile Limit by Randy Wayne White; and Step to the Graveyard
Easy by Bill Pronzini.
* Review: Barbara Vine's _The Blood Doctor_ [aka Ruth Rendell]
* Review: Arthur Phillips' _Prague_
* Book Festival: The Edinburgh International Book Festival, from
10-26 August 2002, will host 500 authors; selected authors listed.
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES
* Excellent article on libraries and eBooks, including discussion of
copyright issues and specific companies (RosettaBooks and NetLibrary)
* The North Tyneside Libraries (Northumberland, England) website:
booklists for adults and kids, forthcoming books, Book of the Month page
* Most Popular Titles for the week of June 10 from the Collier
County Public Library, in Naples, Florida
* Online Book Samples for Libraries and Retailers through Baker &
Taylor's Title Source II system; sample of an online book.
* Louisiana Library To Decide Placement of Valuable Children's Books
REFERENCE
* Middle East Country Profiles from the BBC, by country, with maps,
history, geography, quick facts, leaders' bios, etc.
MAINE
* John Governale's Maine Writing website, with his stories, poems,
lyrics, essays, and the text of a book.
--
Molly Williams, Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
Library Weblog: http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 6/25/02, 1:20 PM
Go here http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for these stories:
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AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS / OBITS:
* Obituary: Timothy Findley
* Interview: Janny Wurts, bestselling fantasy author and
illustrator, whose current release is _Peril's Gate_ (part of her
Wars of Light and Shadow series)
* Interview: Jane Yolen, who's written over 235 books in genres from
mystery to fantasy and for all age groups, from adult to toddlers
BOOK REVIEWS /AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* Recent Book Deals include new Christian suspense series;
historical novel by Arthur Golden; Robert Ferrigno's next thriller;
three-book Lily Pasacle crime series; Booker winner Penelope
Lively's _The Photograph_; Martin Schram's _Avoiding Armageddon_
(April 2003), a history of and guide to the worst possible threats
to our personal and national security
* Buy.com To Undersell Amazon: "Buy.com is specifically targeting
Amazon with a new discount program. The e-tailer will sell books at
10% below whatever Amazon's price is. They already offer free
shipping on orders of any size
* "Cool" Reading List in Book Magazine: Suggests books based on your
coolness profile (rebel cool, existential cool, revolutionary cool,
urban cool, kitschy cool, etc.)
* Reviews: Three spring 2002 romance releases: _Dark Guardian_ by
Christine Feehan (paranormal); _The Secret Lover_ by Julia London
(historical); and _Running Scared_ by Elizabeth Lowell (contemporary)
* Awards: Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction (UK) has been awarded
to Margaret MacMillan for _Peacemakers_, about the negotiations at
Versailles at the end of World War I
* "Shots" is a new online crime and mystery magazine with lots of
author interviews, book reviews, crime news, and more.
* Children's Booklists: Zuckerman's Barn is a great place to search
for book titles for kids (grades 1-9) based on specific themes,
content, characters, plots, settings, etc.
* 'Today' Show Book Club Chooses _The Emperor of Ocean Park_ by
Stephen Carter as its first selection.
* TV Book Club recap ('Today', 'Good Morning America', and 'Live
with Regis and Kelly' book clubs)
* Controversy surrounds Cape Cod exposé, _Ptown: Art, Sex and Money
on the Outer Cape_, by 62-year-old local author Peter Manso
* 'Ask Chris' is a Readers' Advisory resource of 1,231 books and
2,237 reviews, developed by Essex Libraries (UK) staff. The 'What
Should I Read Next' section allows searches on themes and
categories, with an advanced search if looking for an audiobook or
large-print book, or if you want to combine categories. Summaries
for each book.
* New Fall Magazines include In Touch, a celebrity gossip magazine;
The American Conservative, a political magazine with Pat Buchanan as
advisor; Justice, celebrities and the justice system;" American
Curves, men's magazine with photos of pumped-up women; Chic Simple;
Living Room; Budget Living; Common Good, a political magazine
similar to the now defunct George; and Style 24-7.
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES
* The website Library Book Sales (www.librarybooksales.org) "matches
you with rare, collectible and quality books that have been donated
to public libraries. The money you spend goes directly to the
library that sells you the book. " Search for books by author,
title, keyword, binding, and certain book features. For libraries
weeding collectible books, here's a place to post your inventory.
* Library of the Year (Library Journal): Kalamazoo Public Library
(MI), whose taxpayers give more than four times the average per
capita to the library ($82/capita), and whose circulation figures
are steady or down, as computer use regularly surpasses circulation.
* FBI Asks Libraries To Track Readers: "For the first time since the
Cold War, the FBI is visiting public libraries to keep tabs on the
reading habits of people the government considers dangerous. A
nationwide survey of 1,020 public libraries in January and February
found that 85 -- or 8.3% -- of them had been asked by federal or
local law enforcement officers for information about patrons related
to Sept. 11."
* Article on school libraries' ups and downs: Budget cuts in Phili
and Mass. result in replacement of trained librarians with
paraprofessionals or volunteers; foundation grants in NYC provide
for refurbishment and renovation of all 656 city elementary school
libraries.
* As expected, the U.S. Dept. of Justice appealed to the U.S.
Supreme Court the May ruling by three federal judges that the
Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is unconstitutional.
* 'The Internet and Public Libraries' resource list of articles
about filtering, privacy, online access, and Internet Use Policies
(with examples).
* Internet Filtering: AOL, MSN, Yahoo! announced that they have now
tagged most of their online properties with electronic labels
designed to work with new filtering software being made available
free of charge to the public, via Internet Content Rating
Association (ICRA).
TECHNOLOGY / INTERNET
* Broadband Users Are Very Different Than Dial-Up Users - Pew
report. 21% of Americans have broadband access.
* 'The Internet and Public Libraries' resource list of articles
about filtering, privacy, online access, and Internet Use Policies
(with examples).
* Internet Filtering: AOL, MSN, Yahoo! announced that they have now
tagged most of their online properties with electronic labels
designed to work with new filtering software being made available
free of charge to the public, via Internet Content Rating
Association (ICRA).
REFERENCE
* 'Find Articles' lets you search for journal and magazine articles
in all magazines, in some magazines, or in just one magazine, using
keywords. Database contains articles dating back to 1998 from more
than 300 magazines and journals. Provides full text of articles.
* Virtual tour of the Ventnor Botanic Gardens (Isle of Wight, UK).
Photos/text. Palm garden, Japanese Terrace, Americas garden, New
Zealand garden, medicinal garden, more. Also slide shows on
cannas, penstemons, and salvias
* Children's Booklists: Zuckerman's Barn is a great place to search
for book titles for kids (grades 1-9) based on specific themes,
content, characters, plots, settings, etc.
* 'Ask Chris' is a Readers' Advisory resource of 1,231 books and
2,237 reviews, developed by Essex Libraries (UK) staff. The 'What
Should I Read Next' section allows searches on themes and
categories, with an advanced search if looking for an audiobook or
large-print book, or if you want to combine categories. Summaries
for each book.
MAINE
* Additions to Maine Writers Index: Siri Beckman, Stonington
resident, artist, wood engraver, illustrator; Susan Hand Shetterly,
Surry resident and essay writer, poet, and children's book writer;
Robert Taylor, Blue Hill novelist and magazine editor; Chidren's
book writer Maria Testa, Portland resident
* The Garden Conservancy's Open Days Program is this Saturday, June
29: Six southern Maine gardens on the tour, four in Cape Neddick and
two in York Harbor. Admission $5 per garden.
~ Molly
--
Molly Williams, Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
Library Weblog: http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 7/2/02, 1:15 PM
Go here http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for these stories:
-------
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS / OBITS
* Interview: Al Blanchard, president of the New England chapter of
Mystery Writers of America and author of two series of mystery
novels, one set in Mass.
* Interviews: NPR's Linda Wertheimer interviews Lee Child (Without
Fail, John Sandford (Mortal Prey), and Walter Mosley (Bad Boy Brawly
Brown).
* Interview: Donna Tartt. Her second novel, _The Little Friend_, is
due out this fall.
* Interview: Steve Hamilton, creator of Alex McKnight, northern
Michigan's most reluctant private eye. His latest crime novel is
_North of Nowhere_
* List of Maine writers and writers in Maine reading and signing
books at libraries and bookstores in July and August.
* Ms. magazine's Summer 2002 issue is devoted to fiction by about 25
feminist female writers, with notes about each.
BOOK REVIEWS / AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* Fiction Due out in October 2002, including books by Sandra Brown,
Jan Burke, Michael Connelly, Jin Ha, Patricia Highsmith,
Philip Kerr, Milan Kundera, Laura Lippman, Robert Ludlum, Richard
Marcinko and Greg Walker, Joyce Carol Oates, Letty Cottin Pogrebin,
Martin Cruz Smith, Whitley Strieber, and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.
* Top 10 Adult Fiction Bestsellers this week at The Concord Bookshop
(MA)
* Excerpt: _The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a
Dream_, by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt: "Growing up
in Newark, the authors were surrounded by gangs, drugs, and
violence. But rather than bowing to peer pressure, Davis, Jenkins,
and Hunt made it a positive force, pushing each other all the way
through medical school!" (Non-fiction)
* Bookselling? Amazon To Sell Clothes, according to AP reports.
Nordstrom and Gap (including Banana Republic and Old Navy divisions)
are talking with Amazon about selling clothes through Amazon's
website late this summer or early fall.
* Review: Nancy Pickard's _The Truth Hurts_, her third Marie
Lightfoot mystery.
* AudioBooks for summer listening recommended in the Denver Post,
including _The Nanny Diaries_, Calvin Trillin's _Tepper Isn't Going
Out_, Carol Shields' _Unless_, more.
* Recent Book Deals announced, including three new Tamar Myers
books; Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez's _The Dirty Girls' Social Club!_,
about six Latina friends in their late 20s, which caused a bidding
war among publishers; Mariah Fredericks' _Fatal Distraction_, about
the life of a cerebral editorial assistant; two more novels from
Kate White; Clea Koff's non-fiction _The Bone Woman_, the memoir of
a forensic anthropologist who has investigated war crimes in the
mass graves of Rwanda, Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia; a book by Animal
Planet's 'The Pet Psychic' Sonya Fitzpatrick; Diane Ackerman's next
book about the brain; Jane and Michael Stern's _I Hear America
Eating_, more.
* Review: _Walking the Lions_ by Stephen Burgen, set in contemporary
New York and Barcelona, with roots in the Spanish Civil War.
* Awards: Bram Stoker Awards for Horror
* Reading Group Guide available for Stephen Carter's _The Emperor of
Ocean Park_
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES
* On 25 June, the Anchorage (Alaska) Assembly voted to reject Mayor
George Wuerch's restrictive new exhibit policy at the Z.J. Loussac
Library, replacing it with one recommended by the library advisory
board. The mayor's policy disallowed political displays and
relegated the exhibits to a low-exposure area of the library.
* Church Libraries: Detail-filled article on congregational
libraries in the Lakeland, Florida area; much is applicable or may
be of interest to other kinds of libraries.
* Vermonters Build Library in Nicaragua
* Gorham's Library (ME) Referendum Passes: Gorham voters approved
spending of an additional $850,000 in town money to complete the
Baxter Memorial Library project as originally planned.
MAINE
* List of Maine writers and writers in Maine reading and signing
books at libraries and bookstores in July and August.
* Gorham's Library Referendum Passes: Gorham voters approved
spending of an additional $850,000 in town money to complete the
Baxter Memorial Library project as originally planned.
REFERENCE/ OTHER
* Search Engines: Type a name and an area code in the Google search
box and you'll be provided a list of people with that name living in
that area code.
* Virtual Tour: Quail Botanical Gardens in San Diego, which is
"dedicated to the conservation of rare and endangered plants from
across the globe."
* The Orchestra: An educational site with a brief overview of the
orchestra with links to info on orchestra instruments, classical
music, and specific symphony orchestras.
Enjoy! Ideas and suggestions always welcomed.
~ Molly
--
Molly Williams, Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
Library Weblog: http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
[removed]@waterboro.lib.me.us
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 7/9/02, 12:31 PM
Here are some items on the Waterboro Library Weblog from Saturday
through today (Tuesday), 6-9 July.
Go here http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for these stories:
-------
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS / OBITS
* Interview: Ian Rankin, who writes the Inspector Rebus mystery
series, interviewed by Peter Robinson
* Interview: Speculative Fiction Writer Orson Scott Card
* Interview: British Fantasy Writer Terry Pratchett
* Profile: Arto Paasilinna, Finnish comic novelist, whose 29 novels
feature reindeer thieves, lumberjacks, animal characters,
firefighters, strong female protagonists, colourful villans,
eccentrics and loners.
* Obituary: Decherd Henry Turner, Jr., who "escaped the drudgery of
the Depression reading books that he propped on the plow he guided
through the fields," was director of Bridwell Library of the Perkins
School of Theology at Southern Methodist University for 30 years;
the current director, Valerie R. Hotchkiss, said of him "'He was the
greatest librarian of the 20th century.'"
* Obituary: Mark McGarrity (aka Bartholomew Gill), a columnist and
author whose mysteries featured "the witty, shrewd Irish detective
Peter McGarr"
* Obituary: Kenneth Koch, "a poet of the [avant-garde] New York School
* Obituary: John Thompson, a professor, poet, literary critic and
the author of an acclaimed text on the history of British poetics,
The Founding of English Meter (1961).
BOOK REVIEWS / AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* A new 3-day Crime Fiction Festival is going to be part of the
Harrogate International Festival July 2003; bestselling crime author
Val McDermid heads the committee.
* Christian Titles Account for 16% of Book Sales, and that share is
growing. Long, detailed article on Christian best-sellers and what
they reveal about Christianity in America (from World magazine)
* Reading Preferences of Professors, for light reading, include
cookbooks, long narratives, books by crime novelist Elmore Leonard,
Empire Falls by Richard Russo, Steinbeck and Wharton classics, and
Robert Caro's biography of Lyndon Johnson.
* Maine writer Carolyn Chute Seeks New Publisher for her 2,600-page
novel _The School on Heart's Content Road_; she may make it a trilogy.
* Review: Margaret George's _Mary, Called Magdalene_
* Excerpt: _The Scar_ by China Miéville (fantasy)
* Review/Maine Authors: Janet Maslin reviews Richard Russo's story
collection _The Whore's Child_
* Crime Novel Reviews: Marcia Muller's _Dead Midnight_, Michael
Dibdin's _And Then You Die_, Virginia Swift's _Bad Company_, Blair
S. Walker's _Don't Believe Your Lying Eyes_, and Ayelet Waldman's _A
Playdate with Death_.
* Reviews: Three Books by Islanders: _The Lobster Chronicles_ by
Linda Greenlaw (Isle au Haut, Maine); _On Whale Island_ by Daniel
Hays (an island off Nova Scotia); and _Sea Room_ by Adam Nicolson
(the Shiants, three tiny islands in the Hebrides)
BOOKSELLING
* New 4,000-square-foot Bookstore to Open in Harlem on 17 July,
offering 7,000 titles and readings by authors Maya Angelou, E. Lynn
Harris, Bebe Moore Campbell, and others.
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES
* Do Libraries They Need Books?: An article in the Chronicle of
Higher Education says that while faculty might like books, college
"students learn differently. They turn to the Internet instead of
books." Some campus libraries are envisioning their space as "a hub
of activity, a 'one-stop shop' for information and technology tools.
While there are faculty and librarians concerned about the trend
away from books, other librarians don't even keep circulation
figures, since "that's not what happens here anymore." Lots of
examples in the article. Worth a read for public and K-12
librarians, too.
* Marketing: North Port Library, in the Sarasota County (FL) Library
system, has a local library marketing committee that thinks
"outside-the-box" to attract and inform non-library users.
* Naming Rights for Libraries: Kenton County Public Library
[Covington, Kentucky] offers naming rights to raise money: To name
the branch library Erlanger building costs $1 million; the
children's room costs $200,000, the reading garden $150,000.
* Old Orchard Beach (Maine) Budget Cuts are forcing the Libby
Memorial Library to lay off its only part-time worker and close on
Mondays, reducing its hours to 33.5 per week.
MAINE
* Janet Maslin reviews Camden author Richard Russo's story
collection _The Whore's Child_
* Maine writer Carolyn Chute Seeks New Publisher for her 2,600-page
novel _The School on Heart's Content Road_; she may publish it as a
trilogy.
* Old Orchard Beach Budget Cuts are forcing the Libby Memorial
Library to lay off its only part-time worker and close on Mondays,
reducing its hours to 33.5 per week.
REFERENCE / OTHER
* Accessible Gardening: Creative ideas for making gardening possible
or easier for people with a temporary or permanent physical
disability.
~ Molly
--
Molly Williams, Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
Library Weblog: http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
[removed]@waterboro.lib.me.us
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 7/16/02, 11:26 AM
Go here http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for these stories:
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS / OBITS
* Interview: KATHY REICHS, whose latest forensic anthropology
thriller, featuring Dr. Temperance Brennan, is _Grave Secrets_. The
focus of the book is the excavation of mass grave sites in
Guatemala. Also a review of the book and an excerpt.
* Interview: Poet and Novelist JILL BIALOSKY, who has just written
her first novel, _House Under Snow_. Bialosky is also an editor at
W.W. Norton.
* Obituary: MARITTA WOLFF, "a novelist who burst onto the literary
scene in 1941 with what Sinclair Lewis called 'the most important
novel of the year,' proceeded to write a string of best sellers."
She kept a manuscript in the refrigerator.
BOOK REVIEWS / AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* Book Review and Excerpt: _TWELVE_ by Nick McDonell, a debut novel,
written when McDonell was 17, that "takes the reader on a dizzying
journey of teenage sex, drugs, and violence."
* Dickens Digital Library: Online texts of the works of CHARLES
DICKENS, in various e-formats (including Palm OS).
* Lots of fiction book deals, including MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM'S new
untitled work of fiction (fall 2003); JENNIFER PADDOCK'S _A Secret
Word_ about three teenage girls from Arkansas whose lives intertwine
for 15 years; ERNESTO MESTRE-REED'S novel, _The Second of Unica
Avellano_, about a Cuban grandmother's attempts to end her life
because of a fatal cancer; JEANNE DAMS' _Winter of Discontent_, the
ninth book in the Agatha Award winning Dorothy Martin series;
KATHRYN WALL'S next two untitled mysteries in a new series set in
the low country of South Carolina; EMILY CARMICHAEL'S _Hearts of
Gold_, a trilogy of contemporary romances about three women
* Children's Books/Fantasy: Based on a 120-page sample from the
first title (_The Amulet of Samarkand_)in a proposed children's
fantasy trilogy, and an outline for the three books, Miramax is
paying almost $3 million for book and film rights to UK writer
JONATHAN STROUD'S 'Bartimaeus Trilogy,' about a young magician and a
djinni (genie).
* Extensive article by Jonathan Yardley surveys AMERICAN LITERATURE
past and present; "It also is worth noting that some of the most
interesting novels being written these days are not self-consciously
literary but are what is commonly known (and often dismissed) as
GENRE FICTION." He names names.
* TERRY PRATCHETT won the 2001 Carnegie Medal for best children's
book for _The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents_.
* Bestsellers/HUMOUR: BookSense lists its 25 bestselling humour
books "based on the last four weeks of sales from over 300
independent bookstores across America."
* GOOD MORNING AMERICA Chooses Next Book: It's Paulette Jiles's
_Enemy Women_, a love story set during the U.S. Civil War. Excerpt.
* FANNIE FLAGG'S _Standing in the Rainbow_ will be out in August,
set from 1946 to present in Elmwood Springs, Missouri. Excerpt.
* The Last Book in the "Big Stone Gap" Series was published on 9
July. ADRIANA TRIGIANI'S _Milk Glass Moon_ "continues the life story
of Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney as she faces the challenges of
motherhood, with twists as plentiful as those found on the holler
roads of southwest Virginia. Excerpt.
* Excerpt: _Pasadena_ by DAVID EBERSHOFF, "a meticulously researched
narrative that combines elements of gothic fairy tale,
nineteenth-century romance, and the rise and decline of an enchanted
American city"
* Bad Writing Contest: The winner of the 21st annual BULWER-LYTTON
FICTION CONTEST for horrible writing is Rephah Berg of Oakland, a
word-puzzle creator
BOOKSELLING
* EBooks: Newsweek has a positive, though short, article on
electronic books in its latest issue
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES
* INNOVATIVE LIBRARIES: "At the hippest new meeting place in town
you can join your friends to watch the latest DVD, lounge around
listening to music, browse the Net, check out the latest magazines
and newspapers, read a book, or have a leisurely chat over a
mellocino. ... It's central, and up-to-the-minute modern. Its name:
the library." Ideas from cutting-edge libraries around the world.
* TEENAGERS are the demographic that almost everyone in the book
industry -- librarians, publishers, booksellers -- wants. To lure
teenagers, libraries and booksellers have been adjusting what's on
their shelves. For example, D.C. young adult librarians are
encouraging the city's branches to start buying graphic novels.
Public libraries also are making an intensive effort to lure
teenagers to read for the fun of it. Examples of programs for teens.
EDUCATION
* VOUCHERS Illegal in Maine: "Despite a US Supreme Court ruling that
tuition vouchers are legal for parochial schools, the Maine
Department of Education and local school districts should continue
to enforce state law that forbids tuition payments to religious
schools, according to Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe.
* Children/Education/Babysitting: Site designed for babysitters, day
care staff, teachers, and parents, with printable worksheets,
patterns, colouring projects, word puzles, and ideas for teaching
and entertaining young kids.
MAINE / NEW ENGLAND
* Maine writer CYNTHIA THAYER'S _A Certain Slant of Light_, "about a
meeting between strangers in the woods of Maine that leads to an
unexpected kind of love story," has been optioned for film to
Sarrazin Couture.
* VOUCHERS Illegal in Maine: "Despite a US Supreme Court ruling that
tuition vouchers are legal for parochial schools, the Maine
Department of Education and local school districts should continue
to enforce state law that forbids tuition payments to religious
schools, according to Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe.
* New England Author ANITA SHREVE read and signed books at
Stroudwater Books in Dover, NH Thursday night.
* Maine Author LINDA GREENLAW "hopped aboard The Downeaster in
Portland [last] Monday morning to give New Englanders the first
glimpse of her second novel, _The Lobster Chronicles: Life on a Very
Small Island_.
REFERENCE / OTHER
* Google's demos: Glossary, Sets, Voice Search, and Keyboard Shortcuts
~ Molly
--
Molly Williams, Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
Library Weblog: http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
[removed]@waterboro.lib.me.us
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 7/23/02, 1:15 PM
-----
The annual library book and bake sale will be held this Saturday,
July 27, from 8-2. If you live nearby, please come! Rain date:
August 3. Call the library at 207.247.3363 for details or directions.
------
Here are some items on the Waterboro Library Weblog yesterday and
today (22-23 July); go to http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
for the articles below. For stories posted BEFORE this, check our
archives (http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm#arch).
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS / OBITS
* Interview: KRISTIN HANNAH, whose latest is Distant Shores, about a
marriage put to the test as geographical and emotional distance
pulls the partners apart.
* Interview: JAN BURKE, who has written seven books in a mystery
series set in Southern California, featuring newspaper reporter
Irene Kelly.
* Profile: JANET EVANOVICH: Crime novelist Evanovich (Hard Eight),
began her writing career writing romance novels and lives now near
Hanover, NH.
* Obituary: JACK OLSEN, who wrote true crime books, died last
Tuesday in Bainbridge Island, WA at age 77.
BOOK REVIEWS / AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* RECENT BOOK DEALS include two novels by Susan Vreeland, about
Canadian painter Emily Carr and about Vincent Van Gogh; David Kent's
debut, _Department Thirty_, a thriller about a mysterious government
agency and its connections to domestic terrorism; Keith Heller's
literary novel _Great Souls_, about an elderly couple in rural
England in 1948 after Gandhi's assassination; a historical novel
about William Blake by Janet Warner; James Siegel's next two
thrillers; a debut legal thriller involving Wall Street; _Breaking
the Food Seduction_ by Dr. Neal Barnard, about food cravings;
Thomas Webber's memoir about growing up as a white boy in East
Harlem in the 1950s and 60s; and true crime writer Aphrodite Jones's
_The Red Zone: The Dog Mauling of Diane Whipple_
* Article on the HARLEM BOOK FAIR, held last Saturday, and the state
of black publishing
* Review: MINETTE WALTERS' _Acid Row_, reviewed by Marilyn Stasio in
the New York Times; about community vigilantism in a low-income,
crime-infested housing development on the outskirts of London.
* New Magazine for the frugal and stylish debuts in October. Titled
"BUDGET LIVING," the bimonthly will have a 'spend smart, think rich'
motto and is targeted at readers who want to save money without
compromising on style when it comes to cars, clothes, travel,
furniture, food and drink.
* ABC is planning to air TV movies based on the ELOISE BOOKS, Kay
Thompson's classic series, with 'Eloise at the Plaza' in May 2003
and 'Eloise at Christmastime' in December 2003, possibly followed by
'Eloise in Paris' in 2004.
* One City, One Book: Berkeley, California choose Ralph Ellison's
_Invisible Man_ for its citywide read.
* Romance Writers and fans met this weekend for the 22nd annual
Romance Writers of America National Conference in Denver, CO.
Romance books account for more than half of all paperback fiction
sold in the U.S. The RWA WEBSITE lists bestsellers by month, books
released by month, and offers pages designed especially for
booksellers, chapter presidents, LIBRARIANS (very useful), and the
media/press.
* BookSense announced its 10 BOOK CLUB FAVOURITES, which include
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and The Hours by Michael
Cunningham
BOOKSELLING / PUBLISHING
* M.J. Rose writes about the growing trend of traditional publishers
taking over after authors establish themselves through SELF-PUBLISHING.
* Searching Amazon is easier with AMAZON LITE, a web-based
application built on Amazon's API by Kokogiak Media. Results include
just the key data: price, sales rank, and (sometimes) thumbnail
cover image. The advantages to this site over Amazon proper are
speed and simplicity.
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES
* Libraries/Book Banning: Trustees of the James Kennedy Public
Library in the eastern Iowa town of Dyersville have voted
unanimously to BAN Sari Locker's advice book for teens, _Sari Says:
The Real Dirt on Everything from Sex to School_, saying it is too
sexually explicit.
* Ask-An-Expert Sites discussed, along with the role of LIBRARIANS
AS INFO EXPERTS.
~ Molly
--
Molly Williams, Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
Library Weblog: http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
[removed]@waterboro.lib.me.us
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 7/30/02, 9:39 AM
Here are some items on the Waterboro Library Weblog since Saturday,
27 July; go to http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for the
articles below.
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS / OBITS
* Maine author LINDA GREENLAW will read from _The Lobster Chronicles
_ on Friday, 2 Aug. at Nonesuch Books and Cards in South Portland at
7 p.m.; will lecture on Saturday, 3 Aug. at the First Parish Church
in Portland at 7 p.m.; and will read on 12 Aug. at Books Etc. in
Falmouth at 7 p.m.
* Essay about TONY HILLERMAN, "whose mysteries have enlightened so
many on the Navajo culture, reveals the origins of his chief
characters, Leaphorn and Chee, and his personal motivation for writing"
* Interview of BARBARA DELINSKY whose latest book, set in New
Hampshire, is _An Accidental Woman_.
* Interview: D.W. BUFFA, Lawyer, teacher and author of _The Legacy_,
Buffa talks about his characters and about the essence of justice.
BOOK REVIEWS / AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* Good essay about those who are "born to read" and those who aren't.
* An authorised autobiography (_Kylie: La La La_) by Australian pop
diva KYLIE MINOGUE will be published in November. Her single 'Can't
Get You Out Of My Head' reached the U.S. Top Ten.
* MYSTERY BOOK REVIEWS for books by Jack Higgins; Carol Goodman;
Mardi Oakley Medawar; Julie Smith; Brian Wiprud; Jenny Siler;
Peter Robinson; Sparkle Hayter; Juliet Hebden; and William Kent Krueger
* Recent FICTION BOOK DEALS include a first novel by NPR's host of
Weekend Edition SCOTT SIMON; MICHAEL CHABON'S two sequels to
Summerland; a psychological suspense novel by NOIR novelist Mike
Stewart; a first novel by director BARRY LEVINSON; two African
American women's novels by ROCHELLE ALERS; Chilean author ALBERTO
FUGUET'S new novel and a book of linked stories; Alec Michod's DEBUT
THRILLER, set against the backdrop of the 1893 World's Fair in
Chicago; James C. Mitchell's ATMOSPHERIC DETECTIVE novel; Reed
Farrel Coleman's next two books featuring RETIRED NYC POLICEMAN MOE
PRAGER
* Recent NON-FICTION BOOK DEALS include MISSIONARY GRACIA BURNHAM'S
story of being held hostage in the Philippines; a book about the
Indian astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chadrasekhar who DISCOVERED BLACK
HOLES in the 1930s; Hew Strachan's HISTORY OF WORLD WAR I, to
accompany a ten-hour Channel 4 television series (yet to be sold in
the US); Simon Baron-Cohen's _The Essential Difference: The Truth
About the MALE AND FEMALE BRAIN_; Christian broadcaster and author
JOYCE MEYER'S backlist; Lee Server's account of AVA GARDNER'S LIFE;
a book by Roger Nierenberg comparing the way an ORCHESTRA is run
with the way a BUSINESS is run; Rabbi Steven Z. Leder's _More Money
Than God: Living A RICH LIFE Without LOSING YOUR SOUL_; USA Today
sports writer Tim Wendel's book about the history of LATINOS IN THE
MAJOR LEAGUES.
* Review of _The Cabinet of Curiosities_ by DOUGLAS PRESTON AND
LINCOLN CHILD: A 'scientific' thriller about copycat murders in
Manhattan.
* Reviews: FUNNY CRIME FICTION Set in NEW JERSEY: David Rosenfelt's
debut _Open and Shut_; Janet Evanovich's _Hard Eight_; and Steve
Lopez's _In the Clear_
* Kids' Book Reviews: Highlights recent children's books about
POPULAR CHARACTERS and by WELL-KNOWN AUTHORS, including two board
books featuring the irrepressible piglet OLIVIA; two books about
mouse MAISY by Lucy Cousins; a reissuing of AVI'S first book;
Caldecott Honor winner DAVID SHANNON'S _Duck On A Bike_; GRAEME
BASE'S _The Water Hole_; and _I Love My Little Storybook_, with
artwork by ANITA JERAM
* Mini Book Reviews from New York Times: _You Are Not a Stranger
Here_ by Adam Haslett; _Fragrant Harbor_ by John Lanchester; _The
Monk Downstairs_ by Tim Farrington; _Mussolini_ by R.J.B. Bosworth;
_The Winter Zoo_ by John Beckman; _Prague_ by Arthur Phillips; _Half
in Love: Stories_ by Maile Meloy; and _Iris Origo: Marchesa of Val
d'Orcia_ by Caroline Moorehead.
BOOKSELLING / PUBLISHING
* Newspapers Own Half Of Top 20 News Websites, including CNN.com,
MSNBC.com, Yahoo!News, and NYTimes.com, ABCNews.com,
washingtonpost.com, and others.
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES
* ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science, by
Joan M. Reitz, is an excellent hypertext dictionary of terms
librarians, book collectors, printers, and readers use.
* U.K. Libraries: The People's Network project will link all of the
United Kingdom's more than 4,000 libraries to the Internet by the
end of this year. About libraries as non-threatening INFORMATION
CENTRES
REFERENCE / OTHER TOPICAL RESOURCES
* Links to regional and national LAND TRUST websites
* WIND POWER is the focus of MIT's Technology Review in July, with a
linked list of major players; an article about a new lightweight
wind turbine; and links to about 20 related articles/websites.
MAINE
* Maine author LINDA GREENLAW will read from _The Lobster Chronicles
_ on Friday, 2 Aug. at Nonesuch Books and Cards in South Portland at
7 p.m.; will lecture on Saturday, 3 Aug. at the First Parish Church
in Portland at 7 p.m.; and will read on 12 Aug. at Books Etc. in
Falmouth at 7 p.m.
* Article on PORTLAND, Maine as a travel destination.
* Maine Turnpike Authority's WEBCAMS along the MAINE TURNPIKE
-
Molly Williams, Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
Library Weblog: http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 8/7/02, 12:59 PM
Here are some items on the Waterboro Library Weblog since Saturday,
3 August; go to http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for the
articles below.
AUTHOR INTERVIEWS / ESSAYS / OBITS
* Interview: Fannie Flagg: BookPage interviews the author of _Fried
Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café_, _Welcome to the World,
Baby Girl!_, _Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man_, and her latest,
_Standing in the Rainbow_.
* Article on William Faulkner and his legacy, especially the
localism of his writing
* Obituary: Louis Owens, American Indian Novelist and Literary
Critic, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on 26 July in New
Mexico, at the age of 54. Owens wrote five collections of essays and
criticism and five novels, including Nightland, "a mystery
interwoven with Indian legends about two poor, part-Cherokee
ranchers who find a suitcase full of money and a body that appears
to have fallen from the sky.
* Profile: Ruth Rendell (aka Barbara Vine) profiled in the Guardian:
"A Socialist baroness, she is one of the world's most successful
crime writers, exploring the derangement of loners on society's
margins. But her fans argue that her work has been unjustly ignored
by the literary mainstream." Charitable giving, the guilt and shame
of murder, her sense of social justice and fairness, her early life
background, and more are discussed.
BOOK REVIEWS / AWARDS / EXCERPTS / NEWS
* Bestsellers at Powell's Books this week include Harry Potter and
The Goblet of Fire; Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser; The Lovely
Bones by Alice Sebold; The Associate by Phillip Margolin; and
Please Don't Kill the Freshman by Zoe Trope
* Excerpt: Neil Gaiman's _Coraline_, the haunting and fantastic
story of a girl who finds a doorway to nowhere
* Review: _The White_ by Deborah Larsen, a debut novel about "a
16-year-old girl named Mary who is taken captive in 1758 by a
Shawnee raiding party near what would become Gettysburg, Pa. Based
on a true story.
* TV Book Clubs: _For Better, For Worse_ by Carole Matthews is the
fourth book chosen for the 'Reading with Ripa' book club.
* TV Book Clubs: Good Morning America's 'Read This!' program has
chosen _The Lovely Bones_ by Alice Sebold as its next novel.
* Lotsa fiction book deals, including David Eddings' new 4-book
fantasy series 'The Dreamers'; sci-fi writer Peter F. Hamilton's two
related epics _Pandora's Star_ and _Judas Unleashed_; four books
from Janet Dailey; Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's first novel for
young readers, _The Conch Bearer_; Ben Jones' first novel _The Rope
Eater_ about a 19th-century expedition to discover a mythic
temperate valley in the heart of the arctic; Liz Maverick's _What a
Girl Wants_, described as a 'sexy, funny, contemporary novel for the
younger, less affluent Sex and the City set'; Ayelet Waldman's fifth
Mommytrack Mystery, _Death Plays House_; Poppy Z. Brite's _Liquor_,
her first non-genre venture; Wall Street trader Kenneth Morris's
first novel _Man in the Middle_
* Non-fiction book deals, including Bruce Henderson's adventure
narrative, _North Pole Lost -- The Rise and Fall of Hero Explorer
Frederick Cook_; Gavin Menzies' _1421: The Year China Discovered the
World_; true crime writer Robert Graysmith's _Poison Pen: The
Anthrax Terror_; Donna Moreau's _Waiting Wives_, about a community
of women living on an abandoned military base waiting for their
husbands to return from the Vietnam War; Boston Globe Deputy
Managing Editor Ben Bradlee, Jr.'s major biography of Red Sox legend
Ted Williams; Quang Van Nguyen and Marjorie Pivar's _Fourth Uncle in
the Mountain_, memoir of a Vietnamese medicine man; Lee Alan
Dugatkin's _Hamilton's Rule_, story of seven scientists embroiled in
a controversy about evolutionary biology.
* Disney will pay the recently rescued Pennsylvania miners a total
of $1.35 million for a combination of TV movie rights (for an ABC
movie) and book rights,
* Excerpt: Dave Eggers' new (untitled) novel, due in Sept.
* C.S. Lewis's Narnia Series To Be Filmed as a live-action features
for the big screen.
* Lists of bestselling Fishing and bestselling Nautical Interest
books over the last 2 months.
* Short critiques of CliffsNotes editions of their works by writers
Arthur Miller, Barbara Kingsolver, Tim O'Brien, Alice Walker (hers
was brief: "They're terrible"), and Sandra Cisneros.
* Mystery Book Reviews this week at Reviewing the Evidence include:
D. Grant Geddes's _Artifact_ (art mystery set in Venice);
Bill Pronzini's _Step to the Graveyard Easy_; Mary Reed and Eric
Mayer's _One for Sorrow_, the first in the John the Eunuch series
set in ancient Constantinople; J.D. Carpenter's _The Devil in Me_, a
police procedural set in Toronto; more.
BOOKSELLING / PUBLISHING
* Article on audiobooks, their prevalence, lengths (abridged vs.
un-), various formats (including MP3)
* Profile of a British company called The Book People, which sells
14 million books a year by going to offices, factories, and other
workplaces and selling hand-chosen books at low prices to people who
'don't read.'
LIBRARIES and LIBRARY ISSUES
* Special Librarians in the Newsroom: Links to Special Libraries
Assocation website tools for the public
* Town of Randolph [Maine] Votes Against Library Service: Voters
chose to "pull the plug on the town's longtime membership in the
Gardiner Public Library. Voters debated and then killed the $15,343
membership fee to the Gardiner library, a fee that allows anyone in
town to take out books from the library without cost. Details.
* Ingram Library Services is now accepting standing orders for
titles included in the book clubs of the leading morning TV
programs, providing libraries with each title from The Today Show
Book Club, Good Morning America's 'Read This!', Live with Regis and
Kelly's 'Reading with Ripa' program," as well as the USA Today Book
Club. Details.
MAINE / NEW ENGLAND
* Changes for _Yankee_ magazine, as they 'modernize' "to attract a
younger, more affluent audience.
* Maine Public Radio's website now offers a Community Calendar,
listing cultural events -- from garden lectures to auto shows, peace
demonstrations to jazz brunches -- taking place in the great state
of Maine. Libraries can add their events to the calendar.
* Town of Randolph Votes Against Library Service: Voters chose to
"pull the plug on the town's longtime membership in the Gardiner
Public Library. Voters debated and then killed the $15,343
membership fee to the Gardiner library, a fee that allows anyone in
town to take out books from the library without cost. Details.
REFERENCE / CURRENT EVENTS / OTHER
* Water Vs. Gasoline: Interesting article about why Americans pay
more for bottled water than for gasoline.
* Drought: The Drought Monitor tracks drought conditions in the
U.S., drawing information from various indices, outlooks, and news
accounts, and representing a consensus of federal and academic
scientists' view of the national drought situation.
Also, our July new books are listed on line, and our July library
board minutes are also available.
-
Molly Williams, Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
Library Weblog: http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 8/19/02, 1:36 PM
Below are some recent items posted on the Waterboro Library Weblog;
http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for the articles below.
Special Note to DOROTHYL List: This is the last time I will be
posting this weekly mesage to the DOROTHYL list. If anyone wishes to
continue receiving these updates, send me an email
[removed]@waterboro.lib.me.us) and I'll sign you up.
-------
AUTHOR NEWS
... Interview: John Jakes - historical fiction writer
... Article in the Washington Post about where authors get their
characters
BOOK NEWS
... Chicago choose Willa Cather's _My Antonia_ as its third One City
One Book selection.
... Booker Award Longlist Named today (Monday)
... New Literary Culture Magazine to be launched, titled "Speakeasy"
... BBC launches new Book Club; first book is Garrison Keillor's
_Lake Wobegon Days_
... Publisher's Weekly announces Fall 2002 hardcover, trade
paperback, and mass paperback books, as well as children's books and
audio-visual materials due out this fall.
... Article about building a collection of graphic novels, with list
of thirty core novels and print/online review sources
BOOK REVIEWS:
... _The Age of Gold_ by H.W. Brands, which presents the gold rush
as a seminal event in history
... Gardening Books: _Van Gogh's Gardens_ by Derek Fell; _Bamboo for
Gardens_ by Ted Jordan Meredith; _Insects and Gardens_ by Eric
Grissell; and _Armitage's Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and
Half-Hardy Perennials_ by Allan M. Armitage.
... _The Banana Sculptor, the Purple Lady, and the All-Night Swimmer
_by Susan Sheehan and Howard Means, a collection of short nonfiction
about some Americans' obsessive hobbies
... Crime Fiction: Scott Phillips' _The Walkaway_; Margaret Maron's
_Slow Dollar_; Faye Kellerman's _Stone Kiss_; Ridley Pearson's _The
Art of Deception_; and Simon Brett's _The Torso in the Town_.
... Crime Fiction: Ian Rankin's _Dead Souls_; Andrew Taylor's
_Suffocating Night_; John Connolly's _Every Dead Thing_; Peter
Duchin and John Morgan Wilson's _Blue Moon_; Fiona Mountain's _Pale
as the Dead_; Bill Pronzini's _Step to the Graveyard Easy_; Julie
Smith's _Louisiana Bigot_; Jack Allen's _Change of Heart_; Dana
Stabenow's _Nothing Gold Can Stay_; Mark Billingham's _Sleepyhead_.
... _The Metal Shredders_ by Nancy Zafris, a novel that "dares to
raise the only subject that still makes Americans uncomfortable: class."
... Tom Clancy's _Red Rabbit_, an "elaborately detailed account of
an assassination plot against Pope John Paul II in the early 1980s
LIBRARY NEWS
... Two New Library Weblogs: Chicago Lib Rocks and lii.org Possible
Resources Blog
... Maine Libraries and 9/11: The Maine Humanities Council offers
libraries grants of up to $200 for 'Let Freedom Ring' program to
commemorate Sept. 11.
REFERENCE NEWS
... Online and on-disk reference libraries reviewed by Larry Magid
... Weather Cams Around the World offers links to U.S. webcams and
live cams
EDUCATION NEWS
... Pew Internet and American Life Project study concludes that
teachers aren't grasping the Web's potential
~ Molly Wms
--
Molly Williams, Volunteer, Waterboro Public Library (Maine)
Library Weblog: http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm
......................................................................
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FROM: "M. Wms." <[removed]@adelphia.net>
REC'D: 8/31/02, 1:17 PM
Below are some recent items posted on the Waterboro Library Weblog;
http://www.waterboro.lib.me.us/blog.htm for the articles below.
** Special Note to FICTIONL List: This is the last time I will be
posting this weekly mesage to the FICTIONL list. If anyone wishes to
continue receiving these updates, send me an email
[removed]@waterboro.lib.me.us) and I'll sign you up. **
** Special Note to MAINELIBS List: This is the last time I will be
posting this weekly mesage to the MAINELIBS list. If anyone wishes
to continue receiving these updates, send me an email
[removed]@waterboro.lib.me.us) and I'll sign you up. **
-------
AUTHOR NEWS
... Maine Writers Index Addition: William M. Clark, Caratunk native,
columnist and humorous storyteller
... Maine Children's Book Author Lynn Plourde has a new website
... Article about JD Salinger in Book Magazine
... Interview: Ann Packer (The Dive From Clausen's Pier) interviewed
on Cody's Books.
... Mahmoud Darwish, Pakistani poet: Naomi Shihab Nye writes a
heart-felt salute to Darwish
... Obituary: Quail Hawkins, children's book author
BOOK NEWS
... Banned Books Week Essay Contest for Colorado teens.
... Readers' Advisory Services websites described in Sept. 2002
Library Journal article, includes Book Browser, Overbooked, Book
Spot, Fiction-L, Adult Reading Round Table of Illinois, and All
About Romance.
BOOK REVIEWS
... 9/11 Books summarised, reviewed: 110 Stories by Ulrich Baer; Out
of the Blue by Richard Bernstein; Among the Heroes by Jere Longman;
War of Words by Sandra Silberstein; What We Saw edited by Dan Rather.
... Re-Issue of 1796 lurid gothic, The Monk, a tale of sex and
murder involving a Roman Catholic priest. With intro by Stephen King.
... More 9/11 Books: Long article in New York Times about the 65-150
books about 9/11 being published around or after the anniversary of
last year's terrorist attacks
... Children's Mysteries: Recommended specific books and websites
for younger and older kids who are looking for a good detective
novel, with an Australian slant.
... Stella Duffy recommends 10 Tart Noir Novels
... Review: Oliver North's Mission Compromised is a Tom Clancy-esque
tale in which the hero is a fast-rising Marine officer on temporary
assignment to the White House.
LIBRARY NEWS
... Economic value of libraries needs to be documented. Marylaine
Block's encourages libraries to systematically record success
stories and share them with others; send her your anecdotes, results
of survey results, etc., and she will create a website.
... Readers' Advisory Services websites described in Sept. 2002
Library Journal article, includes Book Browser, Overbooked, Book
Spot, Fiction-L, Adult Reading Round Table of Illinois, and All
About Romance.
... The Shoulder of Mutton pub at Fulford, has opened a library in
response to the declining range of services in town
... Mass. Libraries Hold Discussions about Islam, with lots of readings
... The Librarians' Index to the Internet is debuting a new monthly
'mini-zine' called Free Range Librarian, which will be published the
last Monday of each month and will feature brief articles about
librarianship.
REFERENCE and RESEARCH
... Maine Drought: In-depth look at the continuing drought in the
state of Maine, with news articles, resources, water usage facts,
conservation tips, etc
... Wildfire primer, with a glossary of terms, the timeline for
fighting a wildfire, a list of equipment, and some recommended reading.
~ Molly Wms.
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