eBranch Blog

October 29, 2004

Children's Book Week

November 15-21 is Children's Book Week. You can start planning with our program guide and Let's Book book list.

October 18, 2004

New Bestsellers 10/18

The following books are appearing on the best seller lists for the first time this week. For a complete listing see our collection of Best Seller Lists.

The Library Journal Lists of Most Borrowed Books in Public Libraries for Fiction and Nonfiction were updated for September 15.

NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher's Weekly
USA = USA Today
WSJ = Wall Street Journal

Fiction

ANY PLACE I HANG MY HAT, by Susan Isaacs. (Scribner, $26.) A reporter tracks down the mother who abandoned her. (NYT #16)

Jonathan Kellerman & Faye Kellerman. Double Homicide: Santa Fe
For the first time ever, bestselling novelists Jonathan and Faye Kellermen team up to deliver the launch book in a thrilling new series of short crime novels. This book--printed as a reversible volume with two different covers--contains two stories featuring different detectives solving crimes in different cities. (NYT #12, PW #14, WSJ #13)

Nora Roberts. The Gift
Just in time for the holidays--a beautiful gift-sized hardcover from the incomparable #1 "New York Times" bestselling master of romance. Here, Roberts presents two classic tales of holiday love, available for the first time in more than a decade. (NYT #13, WSJ #14)

Nonfiction

H. G. Bissinger. Friday Night Lights
With frankness and compassion, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist H.G. Bissinger's national bestseller chronicles the dramatic 1988 season of the Permian Panthers--the winningest high school football team in Texas history. Friday Night Lights shows how the town's singleminded devotion to the team shapes the community and inspires (or shatters) the teenagers who wear the uniforms. (USA #9)

Augusten Burroughs. Magical Thinking
From the bestselling author of "Running with Scissors" and "Dry" comes a collection of true stories that confirms BurroughsU position as a top satirist and memoirist. (NYT #10, WSJ #15)

Ann Coulter. How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)
With titles like "Would Mohamed Atta Object to Armed Pilots?" and "Liberal Pimps for Clintonism," the pieces in this newest work by the controversial columnist explore such subjects as foreign policy, Hollywood celebrities, air travel, and even the inanities of the D.C. dating scene. (NYT #2, PW #3, USA #5, WSJ #3)

Bob Dylan. Chronicles: Volume One
The first in a series of memoirs by "one of the most important Americans of the 20th Century" ("Life Magazine")--singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The musical legend, who rarely gives interviews or speaks about personal matters, delivers an inside look at his life and craft in prose that is as gifted and distinct as his song writing. (NYT #3, PW #4, USA #6, WSJ #4)

Richard Miniter. Shadow War: The Untold Story of How Bush is Winning the War on Terror
From the author of the bestselling "Losing bin Laden, Shadow War" comes the startling report of how President Bush is bringing retribution to the enemy, and keeping America safe. (NYT #9, PW #13, WSJ #9)

Michael Moore. Will They Ever Trust Us Again: Letters from the War Zone
The bestselling author and filmmaker ("Fahrenheit 9/11") shares a slew of letters from U.S. soldiers in Iraq that he has received, which he feels obligated to publish. These letters provide a unique perspective on what it means to be a part of today's volunteer military. (NYT #5, PW #9, WSJ #12)

Business

Carolyn Kepcher & Stephen Fenichell. Carolyn 101
In her first book, one of Donald Trump's trusted advisors, and his co-star on the hit NBC reality television show "The Apprentice" pens this mentoring book for young professional women. Here, Kepcher reveals the secrets to her own success and provides readers with guidance on how to dazzle in the boardroom. (WSJ #2)

October 15, 2004

Movie Reviews

To join our customer and staff book reviews, we have now added a Movie Reviews. You can read reviews from other customers and staff and write reviews of your favorite, or not so favorite, movies. Check it out today!

The Guards by Bruen wins 2004 Shamus Award

The 2004 Shamus Awards were announced on Friday, October 8. They are awarded annually by the Private Eye Writers of America and honors excellence in the private eye genre.

Ken Bruen. The Guards
In this mesmerizing work of crime fiction, an ex-member of The Guards--Ireland's police force--is approached in a Galway bar by a dazzling woman with a strange request and a rumor about his talent for finding things.

October 12, 2004

New Bestsellers 10/11

The following books are appearing on the best seller lists for the first time this week. For a complete listing see our collection of Best Seller Lists.

The Library Journal Lists of Most Borrowed Books in Public Libraries for Fiction and Nonfiction were updated for September 15.

NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher's Weekly
USA = USA Today
WSJ = Wall Street Journal

Fiction

Laurell K. Hamilton. Incubus Dreams
In the latest novel of the "New York Times" bestselling series, a vampire serial killer who preys on strippers is on the loose. Called in to consult on the case, Anita Hunter fears her judgment may be clouded by a conflict of interest and does something unprecedented--she calls for help. (NYT #2, PW #2, USA #6, WSJ #2)

Sophie Kinsella. Shopaholic & Sister
Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) returns from her honeymoon only to discover she has a half- sister who hates to shop. (NYT #9, PW #6, WSJ #6)

Stephanie Laurens. Lady of His Own
In the third chapter of the Bastion Club series by the "New York Times" bestselling author, heroic Earl Charles St. Austell returns home to reclaim his title and seek a bride. Only Lady Penelope, his first love, will fulfill his desire, though she is determined to resist him. (USA #11)

Robert Parker. Melancholy Baby
When her ex-husband remarries, Sunny Randall finds it essential to take a college student's case, if only as a distraction from her personal life. But in helping the girl find her birth parents, life and work converge in a dangerous way. (NYT #13, PW #14, WSJ #14)

Nora Roberts. Winner Takes All
From the beloved #1 "New York Times" bestselling author comes two classic romances unavailable for more than a decade. These full-length novels--"Rules of the Game" and "The Name of the Game"--are set in worlds where rules are broken and love conquers all. (USA #3)

Alexander McCall Smith. The Sunday Philosophy Club
Amateur sleuth Isabel Dalhousie is a philosopher who also uses her training to solve unusual mysteries. Isabel is Editor of the "Review of Applied Ethics, which addresses such issues as "truth telling in sexual relationships," and she also hosts The Sunday Philosophy Club at her house in Edinburgh. In this first book in McCall Smith's new series Isbel investigates how a young man could have fallen to his death from the top balcony of the Usher Hall. She is aided by her beautiful niece Cat, Cat's ex boyfriend Hugo (whose own good looks Isabel is tantalised by), and her strict housekeeper Grace. Isabel is drawn into the heart of Edinburgh's well heeled, if somewhat shady, business community as she sets out to discover the truth. (NYT #11, PW #11, WSJ #13)

Nonfiction

WILL IN THE WORLD , by Stephen Greenblatt. (Norton, $26.95.) A Harvard humanities professor sets out to explain how Shakespeare became the greatest of all playwrights. (NYT #14)

Frank Lawlis. The ADD Answer
In addition to providing assessment tests practical information on treatment options, Lawlis explores the role of nutrition in treating the disorder, the positive effects of counseling and goal setting, and more. (PW #12, WSJ #10)

Ruth Reichl. The Gourmet Cookbook
For beginners and seasoned cooks alike, "The Gourmet Cookbook" is an eloquent, essential companion in the kitchen--one that will take its place among the classic cookbooks of this generation. Illustrated instructions explain everything from how to cut up a chicken to how to shuck an oyster. Two-color throughout. (PW #8, WSJ #8)

GREEN RIVER, RUNNING RED, by Ann Rule. (Free Press, $26.) The story of the Green River killer, who murdered some four dozen young women in the Pacific Northwest before he was captured in 2001. (NYT #12)

Business

Harvey Mackay. We Got Fired
The bestselling author of "Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" offers inspirational, first-person stories from high-profile men and women who bounced back to the top from the darkest times of their careers. (WSJ #5)

Children's Chapter

Christopher Paul Curtis. Bucking the Sarge
Deeply involved in his cold and manipulative mother's shady business dealings in Flint, Michigan, fourteen-year-old Luther keeps a sense of humor while running the Happy Neighbor Group Home For Men, all the while dreaming of going to college and becoming a philosopher. (NYT #8)

Tamora Pierce. Trickster's Queen
Aly fails to foresee the dangers that await as she uses her magic to safeguard Dova and her younger siblings, despite knowing that her thirteen-year-old charge might be queen of the Copper Isles when the colonial rulers are defeated. (NYT #1)

It's Alive Book List

Here are some recommended reads to celebrateIt's Alive @ the Library the theme of Teen Read Week 2004. This list is created by the Young Adult Library Services Association.

Neil Gaiman. Coraline
Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.

October 07, 2004

New Books/Movies/Audio Lists Updated

The New Books, Audios, and Movies lists have been updated with titles cataloged in September 2004.

October 04, 2004

New Bestsellers 10/4

The following books are appearing on the best seller lists for the first time this week. For a complete listing see our collection of Best Seller Lists.

NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher's Weekly
USA = USA Today
WSJ = Wall Street Journal

Fiction

Maeve Binchy. Nights of Rain and Stars
A story of sudden endings and new beginnings, of friendships forged in the face of tragedy, and of the nights of rain and stars that fall and shine over a beautiful island in a sparkling sea. In a small Greek island village, a group of travelers from around the world and the local residents they encounter are brought together in unexpected ways when sudden tragedy strikes. (NYT #4, PW#5, WSJ #6)

Stephen King. The Dark Tower
The final volume of King's masterful, multi-volume epic is hailed as a "hypnotic blend of suspense and sentimentality . . . a sprawling, eventful tale of demons, monsters, narrow escapes, and magic portals" ("The New York Times Book Review"). (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #2, WSJ #1)

Philip Roth. The Plot Against America
In this alternate history, Pulitzer Prize-winner Roth considers what it would be like for his Newark family--and for a million such families all over the country--during the menacing years of a Charles Lindbergh presidency, when American citizens who happened to be Jews would have every reason to expect the worst. (NYT #13, PW #15)

Neal Stephenson. The System of the World
"New York Times" bestselling author Neal Stephenson pens the final volume in his hugely ambitious and compelling epic of intrigue, adventure, and excitement, filled with a remarkable cast of characters in a time of genius, discovery, and change. (NYT #9, PW #8, WSJ #7)

Nonfiction

PATRIOT REIGN, by Michael Holley. (Morrow, $23.95.) Behind the scenes with Bill Belichick and his New England Patriot coaching staff. (NYT #14)

Jon Stewart. America (the Book)
Timed to coincide with the height of the 2004 presidential election campaign, this book offers insights into America's unique system of government, dissecting its institutions, explaining its history and processes, and exploring modern urban myths. (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #3, WSJ #1)

DEMOCRACY MATTERS , by Cornel West. (Penguin Press, $24.95.) The author of "Race Matters" looks at "the rise of an ugly imperialism" in the wake of 9/11. (NYT #11)

Children's Chapter

Clive Barker. Abarat
Candy Quackenbush of Chickentown, Minnesota, one day finds herself on the edge of a foreign world that is populated by strange creatures, and her life is forever changed. (NYT #9)

Lemony Snicket. The Grim Grotto
The Baudelaire siblings descend into the depths of despair, underwater. The horrors they encounter are too numerous to list, and include mushrooms, a mechanical monster, a distressing message from a lost friend, and tap dancing. (NYT #1, USA #1)

Business

Marcia Angell, MD. The Truth About the Drug Companies
During her two decades at "The New England Journal of Medicine," Dr. Marcia Angell had a front-row seat on the appalling spectacle of the pharmaceutical industry. Written with fierce passion and substantiated with in-depth research, "The Truth About the Drug Companies" is her searing indictment of an industry that has spun out of control. (NYT #10)

Jean Chatzky. Pay It Down
This companion book to a yearlong "Today" show series tackles the number one personal finance challenge: getting out of debt. (NYT #9)

Kerry Patterson. Crucial Conversations
Four cofounders of a corporate consulting firm present their formula for effective communication, based on the trial and error of years spent as corporate trainers. The reader is drilled not only in communication skills but also to recognize bad or shifty modes of communication, to develop integrity in word and deed, and to achieve more effective work habits. (WSJ #6)

Audio

Sandra Brown. White Hot
In this steamy new thriller, Sayre Lynch returns to her small Louisiana hometown after her brother commits suicide. As she sets out to find the truth, she becomes drawn to her father's business partner and realizes that there are many destructive secrets at play, threatening to erupt at any minute. (Abridged CD) (PW #10)

Patricia Cornwell. Trace
Dr. Kay Scarpetta travels to Richmond, Virginia, to help solve a perplexing crime. Under strange and less-than-ideal circumstances, she investigates the death of a 14-year-old girl to reveal the sad truth that may be more than even she can bear. . (Unabridged CD & Cassette) (PW #2)

Sidney Sheldon. Are You Afraid of the Dark?
In this classic page turner from "the master of the storytelling game" ("People"), four people from the world's largest think tank are murdered. Soon, two of the murdered men's wives find their own lives threatened as they become reluctant allies in a life and death game of cat-and-mouse. (Unabridged CD) (PW #12)