Host a Dungeons & Dragons event for your library patrons!

It is a huge hit with teens and adults! D&D is an ongoing activity played with books, paper and pencils, and it requires creativity, imagination, and cooperation (with a bit of math and reading thrown in).

Resources are available at www.wizards.com/dndlibrary and you can email Wizards of the Coast directly for information at dndlibrary@wizards.com.

-Erica

Get a second helping of Literary Tastes Breakfast

CHICAGO — Refresh your memories of jokes about Jewish mothers —or give yourself another chance to taste other choice morsels from the Literary Tastes Breakfast by viewing videos of the event  online at the RUSA website or downloading them for your iPod.

Sponsored by HarperCollins, Random House and Penguin Publishing, the Literary Tastes Breakfast brings together librarians and notable authors at ALA’s Annual Conference. Breakfast participants feed their brains and their minds while listening to readings and commentary from outstanding contemporary authors.

Authors invited to present at the breakfast are chosen from recently designated books on The Notable Books List and The Reading List, as well as the Sophie Brody Medal winner. This year’s speakers were Lisa Margonelli (“Oil on the Brain: Adventures from the Pump to the Pipeline”),  Jon Clinch (“Finn”), Joyce Antler (“You Never Call, You Never Write!: A History of the Jewish Mother”), Ron Carlson (“Five Skies”), Patrick Rothfuss (“The Name of the Wind”), and Susan Elizabeth Phillips (“Natural Born Charmer”).

-Erica

I hate to say it, but summer is ending. Never is there a bigger indication of its demise than “back-to-school” season.  While I’m no longer a student, this time of year makes me want to go out and buy pencils, pull out my long-sleeved shirts and read a classic novel. I realize some of you may not long for an old, beat-up Bantam the way I do so here are a few books that pay hommage to a some titles we all once read… Just in case your patrons would like to add “classic”ally-inspired reads to their Fall lists.

If you liked Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, try Karen Maitland’s Company of Liars (out 9/30).

If you long to go back to the Mississippi, Finn by John Clinch provides a new take on the characters of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Indulge your inner sixth-grader and go back to Neverland (well, kind of) with Tigerheart, a take on J.M. Barrie’s, Peter Pan.

 If biographies are more your thing, check out Jane Austen, A Life; Shakespeare, A Biography; and The Bronte Myth.

And I can’t resist… For the purists, I include The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, the first ever fully annotated edition of Jane Austen’s beloved classic.

-Marie

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Brian Donovan’s latest book about NASCAR’s first Black driver, Wendell Scott, has just recieved a stellar review in Booklist! 

Jackie Robinson had it rough, to be sure, but Scott may have had an even rougher time down South… Don’t miss Hard Driving for your library!

This morning, staring at my computer and thinking about how much I needed caffeine, I overheard Marcia, the head of our department, warning Erica that Abraham Verghese’s name was pronounced “Ver-geez,” not “Ver-gezee,” and that she should know in case it came up in Erica’s conference planning. At this, my eyes refocused. This was important information. I’d just been reading his new book Cutting for Stone on my commute, and, while I’m not far in, I’m pretty sure that people will know his name after this book, and I’d better know how to pronounce it.

I took the opportunity to jump up and have the following short conversation with Marcia.

“Ooooh, I’m reading that right now!”
“Me too! ISN’T IT GOOD?”
“It’s REALLY GOOD!”
“He’s going to be at ALA in Denver!”
“Really? Yes, that’s awesome. Guy can write.”

So, if you don’t already know Verghese’s name from his non-fiction titles, My Own Country (a National Book Critics Circle finalist) and The Tennis Partner (a New York Times Notable Book), you just may know it from his upcoming fiction debut in February. Consider this pre-buzz. They may not have a jacket yet, but it’s certainly bound–for great things. (Apologies. I suffer from chronic bad-punning.) Stay tuned.

-David

Nobody does ’small town’ better than Richard Russo. His books are a delight to read–multilayered, filled with interesting characters and plot development. You are never quite sure where you’re heading when you start his books, but the journey is always filled with rewards and occasional jolts of recognition and appreciation for his ability to get inside all the individuals populating the pages.

I come from a very small town, (pop. 490) and pretty much everybody knew everybody and everybody’s business. And that’s the setting for Bridge of Sighs, his most recent and wonderfully complicated book, set the small town of Thomaston, New York. For the most part the novel is narrated by Louis Charles Lynch (aka Lou C., aka Lucy Lynch) and tells the story of his life, that of his parents, and that of his wife, Sarah.

The title, Bridge of Sighs, has a number of meanings, the most obvious reference being the famous bridge in Venice where Lucy and Sarah, after 40 years of marriage, are going on a long-anticipated trip to visit an old friend–once a rival for Sarah’s affections. The second reference is to a local bridge which plays a part in one of those pivotal cruel incidents of childhood that shapes Lucy’s entire life. There are many ‘bridges’ in this book and I crossed them gladly and I hope you will take the time to share your affection for this book if you read it in hardcover last year, or, like me, had set it aside for just the right moment of enjoyment. It’s just out in paperback and this week is:
#2 New England Independent
#3 Southern California Independent
#4 Southern Independent
#11 New York Times Paperback Bestseller

A meaty discussion book (featured here) with lots of appeal for guys.

One good thing about reading this so long after its debut–I won’t have to wait long until the next Russo!

-Marcia

Our book videos are now available on LibraryJournal.com

Odd Hours by Dean Koontz

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society  by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

African Critters by Robert B. Haas 

Sacred Places of a Lifetime by National Geographic

Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks

Infected by Scott Sigler

–Erica

I’ve always said that the Olympics should be aired around New Years. By the time they come around in August, they’re just a painful reminder of the physical-fitness resolutions we’ve made, and how, compared to these people, we’ve failed miserably. For me, it’s back to the drawing board…er, weight room/treadmill. We have some books, though, that can help those who feel similarly.

 NATURAL FLEXIBILITY- Charles Kenny, M.D. - If Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin make you feel about as flexible as a dry twig, you’re not alone. But stretching, surprisingly enough, is not the only way to get there. This book will teach your patrons how to enhance their muscle function and performance through natural exercise.

THE BODY SCULPTING BIBLE FOR ABS- Hatherleigh – Olympic swimmers. Perhaps the tightest abdominals you’ll find outside of a Mr. Universe competition. In case your patrons feel inspired, be sure to have these-the men’s and women’s editions-around. More than a lap pool, they’ll need some kind of guidance.

STABILITY, SPORT AND PERFORMANCE MOVEMENT-Joanne Elphinston - Physiotherapist Joanne Elphinston explains that sporting technique is rooted in stability, symmetry, and balance. Just about any Olympic athlete wouldn’t have gotten far without these skills. But the large injury-prevention portion unfortunately does not account for book-cart accidents.

LIVING WITH CHRONIC PAIN- Jennifer Schneider, MD, PhD – This book, coming in April 2009, will be around just in time. By then, your patrons will have given up their Olympic dreams (or at least their dreams of looking like a silver medalist), and will have a new problem. This comprehensive and authoritative volume will be indespensible for a smooth convalesence.

Looking to stock up on manga for your library?  Wish you could take a peek before you bought?  Well, your wish has been answered.  Del Rey Manga has previews of 20 of their series that you can easily view online.  Shugo Chara, Dragon Eye, Kagetora, Kitchen Princess and more! And while you’re there, be sure to sign up for Del Rey’s manga e-newsletter to get manga updates sent right to your in-box! Don’t even know where to start?  Then check out the handy Booksellers & Librarians Resource page with the basics of manga buying.

-Jen

Happy Friday to all our library friends!

-Marie and David