eBranch Blog

December 19, 2005

New Bestsellers 12/19/05

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.

E = Essence Magazine
NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher's Weekly
USA = USA Today
WSJ = Wall Street Journal
* = Titles that have previously appeared on the bestseller lists but are new to our catalog

Fiction

Sue Grafton. S Is for Silence
In Kinsey Millhone's 19th excursion into the world of suspense and misadventure, a daughter wants the solace of closure in the mystery surrounding her mother's absence. Thirty-four years earlier, Violet Sullivan put on her party finery and left for the Fourth of July fireworks display. She was never seen again. (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #7, WSJ #1)

Philippa Gregory. The Constant Princess
Katherine of Aragon is born Catalina, the Spanish Infanta, to parents who are both kings and crusaders. At the age of three, she is betrothed to Prince Arthur, son and heir of Henry VII of England, and is raised to be Princess of Wales. She knows that it is her destiny to rule that far-off, wet, cold land. She arrives in England, marries Arthur and love blossoms only to be dashed by his death. She then marries his younger brother Henry. (NYT #16, PW #14)

Donna VanLiere. The Christmas Hope
Patricia and Mark Addison have long given up the hope of having a meaningful Christmas. But this year, Patricia's job as a social worker will lead her to a very special five-year-old. Against her better judgment, Patricia bends the rules and takes the little girl to her own home. Through the presence of Emily in their house, and her penetrating questions about heaven, the Addisons learn that there is no sorrow so great that faith cannot help you find your way through. And Christmas will once more be a time of joy in their home. (NYT #13, PW #15)

Nonfiction

Dr. Phil McGraw. Love Smart
In his newest work, "New York Times" bestselling author Dr. Phil delivers the book for which millions of singles have been waiting. Candid and thorough, Dr. Phil shows how to navigate the world of dating, from finding the right online dating service and creating a successful profile to being honest about compatible mates, understanding emotional and sexual gender differences, and how to project one's true personality in the most flattering light. (PW #6, WSJ #6)

December 16, 2005

National Book Award for Young People's Literature Book List

Back in November I posted about the National Book Award Winners. We had book lists for all of the award categories save for Young People's Literature. Well, we now have a book list for that as well. The award was added in 1996 and is for books written for children or young adults. From 1969-1983 there was a children's category.

2004
Pete Hautman. Godless
When sixteen-year-old Jason Bock and his friends create their own religion to worship the town's water tower, what started out as a joke begins to take on a power of its own.

December 12, 2005

Richard Pryor, 1940-2005

Richard Pryor, one of the most influential comedians of his generation passed away on Saturday. Pryor began his career as a stand-up comic in the early 1960s. As his career began to take off, he began to be dissatisfied with his act. With his first comedy album in 1967, he introduced the new tone of his act, with which he made his mark. During the 70s he made numerous television appearances. He also appeared in over 40 movies beginning in the late 1960s.

Books By and About Pryor
Richard Pryor with Todd Gold. Pryor Convictions: And Other Life Sentences
Richard Pryor?s life story is one of the most controversial and shocking of any performer in American history. Raised in the bars and whorehouses of Peoria, where he gained first-hand knowledge of racism and hypocrisy, he toiled for years as a bland Cosby clone before finding his true voice as one of America?s most brilliant comedians ? and one of its most profound, and profane, social critics. At the apex of his career ? one of Hollywood?s biggest stars, and one of the most influential black men in the world ? it all came tumbling down in a maelstrom of drugs, multiple marriages, heart attacks, violence, and suicide attempts, finally ending in a notorious incident where he lit himself on fire while freebasing cocaine. Pryor Convictions tells the uncensored story of the man behind the myth. Written in Pryor?s own words, this human and compelling account is like the man himself: raw, funny, fearless, and completely unforgettable.

John Alfred Williams & Dennis A. Williams. If I Stop I'll Die: The Comedy and Tragedy of Richard Pryor
an incisive examination of the comedian's life & humor by the renowned African-American writer John A. Williams & the novelist & former Newsweek editor Dennis A Williams. This biography not only reveals details of Pryor's troubled but brilliant career, but also places these events within the context that shaped Pryor's outlook, personality, & opportunities.

Performances by Pryor

Hey That's Funny
Stand-up comedy from various performers including Richard Pryor's Discipline. CD

Laughs
Larry King hosts some of the funniest moments from his radio show. Cassette

Motown 25 (1983)
An all-star reunion that spotlights performances by the biggest acts to come out of Detroit, a look behind the scenes at the songwriters, and a tribute to Barry Gordy.

Richard Pryor Live in Concert (1979)
Rated R

A Select Filmography

Harlem Nights (1989)
Eddie Murphy stars as Quick who has a scheme to keep mobsters from muscling in on the 1930s Harlem hot spot Club Sugar Ray. R

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
Meet Wally and Dave--Wally is blind, Dave is deaf, and now they're both prime suspects in a murder they didn't commit. R

Superman III (1983)
Superman III reveals the answer and adds a third all-star chapter to the amazing adventures of Superman. Gus Gorman (Pryor) is a genial half-wit who just happens to be a natural-born genius at computer programming. In his hands, a computer keyboard turns into a deadly weapon and soon, Superman faces the microelectronic menace of his career. PG

Stir Crazy (1980)
Two zany drifters are mistakenly sent to prison for a robbery they didn't commit. They must rely on their wits in order to survive a sadistic warden, a hulking mass-murderer and worst of all, the inter-prison rodeo. R

Neil Simon's California Suite (1978)
The story of five couples who have come to the Beverly Hills Hotel for diverse reasons. They must all confront personal dilemmas. PG

The Wiz (1978)
A discontented kindergarten teacher living in Harlem is lost in a blizzard and comes upon the wonderland of Oz. There she meets new friends, tries to find her way home, and finds that her life is not so bad after all. G

Which Way Is Up? (1977)
The story of an orange picker who accidentally becomes a union hero and leaves his wife and family at home while he seeks work in Los Angeles where he finds a new woman and starts a second family. Richard Pryor plays three roles. R

Silver Streak (1976)
A wild action comedy about a murder mystery aboard a cross-country train. PG

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976)A group of independent renegade players travel around the Midwest looking for that big home run while playing baseball in the 1930s Negro League. PG

New Bestsellers 12/9/05

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 December 15.

The Publisher's Weekly fiction and nonfiction audiobook besteller lists have been updated for December 5.

E = Essence Magazine
NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher's Weekly
USA = USA Today
WSJ = Wall Street Journal
* = Titles that have previously appeared on the bestseller lists but are new to our catalog

Fiction

Dean Koontz. Forever Odd
We're all a little odd beneath the surface. He's the most unlikely hero you'll ever meet - an ordinary guy with a modest job you might never look at twice. But there's so much more to any of us than meets the eye - and that goes triple for Odd Thomas. For Odd lives always between two worlds in the small desert town of Pico Mundo, where the heroic and the harrowing are everyday events. Odd never asked to communicate with the dead - it's something that just happened. But as the unofficial goodwill ambassador between our world and theirs, he's got a duty to do the right thing. That's the way Odd sees it and that's why he's won hearts on both sides of the divide between life and death. (NYT #4, PW #5, WSJ #7)

Nora Roberts. Red Lily
In the final installment of her In the Garden trilogy, Nora Roberts concludes the story of three women who learn that the heart of their historic home holds a mystery of years gone by. (USA #1)

Nonfiction

THE BEATLES, by Bob Spitz. (Little, Brown, $29.95.) A biography of four lads who shook the world. (NYT #15)

Business

Bill Bonner & Addison Wiggin. Empire of Debt
In America, we know what we have to do. We have an empire to run. Outlying places to police. People to boss around. Sabres to rattle. And an economy that has to remain Numero Uno. Unfortunately, history shows that running an empire is a disastrously expensive business. You pay in cash. You pay in blood. And you pay with your own soul. (NYT #6, WSJ #14)

December 09, 2005

New Audiobooks Section

Do you have a long commute? Do you not have enough time to read books? If so, then audiobooks might be the ticket. We have created an Audiobooks Book Lists section in Books & Reading. The book lists in this section range from award winning audio books to family listening. Check out this new section to find a great book to listen to.

December 08, 2005

New Books/Movies/Audio Lists Updated

The New Books, Audios, and Movies lists have been updated with titles cataloged in November 2005.

December 05, 2005

New Bestsellers 12/5/05

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.

E = Essence Magazine
NYT = New York Times
PW = Publisher's Weekly
USA = USA Today
WSJ = Wall Street Journal
* = Titles that have previously appeared on the bestseller lists but are new to our catalog

Fiction

Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins. The Regime: Evil Advances
The second exciting installment in this series continues the story of the rise of the Antichrist and the journey of the other main characters as time, unknown to them, hurdles toward the Rapture. (PW #14)

James Luceno. Star Wars: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
The thrilling sequel to the blockbuster movie "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith" opens with Darth Vader's assignment to wipe out resistance to the new order. This mission leads him to discover his true strength and to come into his own as the Emperor's iron fist. (NYT #11, PW #7, WSJ #9)

P.D. James. The Lighthouse
Combe Island off the Cornish coast has a bloodstained history of piracy and cruelty but now, privately owned, it offers respite to over-stressed men and women in positions of high authority who require privacy and guaranteed security. But the peace of Combe is violated when one of the distinguished visitors is bizarrely murdered. Commander Adam Dalgliesh is called in to solve the mystery quickly and discreetly, but at a difficult time for him and his depleted team. (NYT #5, PW #6, WSJ #7)

Nonfiction

David Halberstam. The Education of a Coach
Bill Belichick's thirty-one years in the NFL have been marked by amazing success-most recently, his wins in two of the last three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. In this groundbreaking new book, David Halberstam explores the nuances of both the game and the man behind it. (NYT #11, PW #12, WSJ #14)

December 02, 2005

West U Librarian's Article Published in Library Journal

Keddy Outlaw's, branch librarian at West University Branch Library, article entitled "Orphans Abounding" has been published in the Reader's Shelf column in Library Journal. The article is an overview of popular literature with orphans as characters. The Reader's Shelf column is edited by popular librarian Nancy Pearl, author of Book Lust and More Book Lust. Titles included in the column are:

Dave King. The Ha-Ha
Cynthia Orzick. Heir to the Glimmering World
Stephanie Kallos. Broken for You
Haven Kimmel. The Solace of Leaving Early
Kaye Gibbon. Ellen Foster
Mary Lawson. Crow Lake
Anita Rau Badami. The Hero's Walk

See the article for information on orphans in literature and descriptions of the books.