eBranch Blog

April 24, 2006

New Bestsellers 4/24/06

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.

New bestsellers were not posted for last week; last weeks new bestsellers are marked with **.

The Criticas Spanish Language fiction and nonfiction bestseller lists were updated for April 2006.

The Library Journal Lists of Most Borrowed Books in Public Libraries for Fiction and Nonfiction were updated for April 15, 2006.

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

Fiction

Anonymous. Oakdale Confidential
Tying in to the 50th anniversary of one of America's most popular daytime dramas, "As the World Turns," this novel features three of the daytime drama's most popular female characters as they band together to solve the mystery of who murdered a local philanthropist. (NYT #3, PW #2, USA #15)

Mary Higgins Clark. Two Little Girls in Blue **
"Before leaving for a black-tie affair in New York City, Margaret and Steve Frawley celebrate the third birthday of their twin girls, Kathy and Kelly, with a party at their new home in Ridgefield, Conn. Later that night, when Margaret can't reach the babysitter, she contacts the Ridgefield police. The frantic couple return home to find the children missing and a ransom note demanding $8 million." - Publisher's Weekly (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #3)

Diane Mott Davidson. Dark Tort
Goldy Schulz has a lucrative new gig, preparing breakfasts and conference-room snacks for a local law firm. It's time-consuming, but Goldy is enjoying it -- until the night she arrives to find Dusty, the firm's paralegal, dead. (NYT #4, PW #5)

Eric Jerome Dickey. Chasing Destiny
Billie (aka "Ducati") is known as much for her extraordinary beauty as for the sexy yellow Ducati motorcycle she rides through the mean streets of Los Angeles. Tough, talented, and self-assured, Billie's used to doing things her way--but that was before love threw an oil slick in the road and spun her life into chaos. (NYT #8, PW #6)

Janet Evanovich & Charlotte Hughes. Full Scoop
The sixth original novel by Evanovich and Hughes transports readers to the wildest week yet in the town of Beaumont, South Carolina, as the authors dole out a full scoop of fun, adventure, and romance. (USA #8)

Lisa Jackson. Shiver **
Detective Reuben "Diego" Montoya is back in New Orleans. Thanks to years of working with the dark side of society, his youthful swagger is gone, replaced by straightforward determination. He'll need it, because a serial killer is turning The Big Easy into his personal playground. The victims are killed in pairs -- no connection, no apparent motive, no real clues. Somebody's playing a sick game, and Montoya intends to beat him at it. (NYT #13, PW #11)

Irene Nemirovsky. Suite Francaise
By the early l940s, when Ukrainian-born Ir?ne N?mirovsky began working on what would become Suite Fran?aise?the first two parts of a planned five-part novel?she was already a highly successful writer living in Paris. But she was also a Jew, and in 1942 she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz: a month later she was dead at the age of thirty-nine. Two years earlier, living in a small village in central France?where she, her husband, and their two small daughters had fled in a vain attempt to elude the Nazis?she?d begun her novel, a luminous portrayal of a human drama in which she herself would become a victim. When she was arrested, she had completed two parts of the epic, the handwritten manuscripts of which were hidden in a suitcase that her daughters would take with them into hiding and eventually into freedom. Sixty-four years later, at long last, we can read N?mirovsky?s literary masterpiece. (NYT #11, PW #14)

Stuart Woods. Dark Harbor
Stone Barrington investigates the secrets of a CIA officer's suicide in this next thriller in the bestselling series. (NYT #2, PW #3)

Nonfiction

Michael Baigent. The Jesus Papers *
Twenty years ago Michael Baigent and his colleagues stunned the world with a controversial theory that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene married and founded a holy bloodline. His bestselling book Holy Blood, Holy Grail (with co-authors Henry Lincoln and Richard Leigh) became an international publishing phenomenon and was one of the sources for Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code. Now, with two additional decades of research behind him, Baigent's The Jesus Papers presents explosive new evidence that challenges everything we know about the life and death of Jesus. (PW #10)

Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme. My Life in France **
This is a book about some of the things I have loved most in life: my husband, Paul Child; la belle France; and the many pleasures of cooking and eating. It is also something new for me. Rather than a collection of recipes, I've put together a series of linked autobiographical stories, mostly focused on the years 1948 through 1954, when we lived in Paris and Marseille, and also a few of our later adventures in Provence. Those early years in France were among the best of my life. They marked a crucial period of transformation in which I found my true calling, experienced an awakening of the senses, and had such fun that I hardly stopped moving long enough to catch my breath. (NYT #10, PW #14)

Giada De Laurentis. Giada's Family Dinners **
New York Times best-selling cookbook author and Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis works her magic once again, providing over 100 simple, healthy and delicious recipes geared toward family and group meals ... Italian style. (PW #3, USA #5)

Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, & George Wurs. The Gospel of Judas **
Thought lost forever, the Gospel of Judas was recently found and translated and is presented here for the first time with commentary. (NYT #3, PW #6, USA #11)

Herbert Krosney. The Lost Gospel
In this compelling and exhaustively researched account, Herbert Krosney unravels how the Gospel of Judas was found and its meaning painstakingly teased from the ancient Coptic script that had hid its message for centuries. (NYT #14, PW #15)

Kevin Phillips. American Theocracy *
In his two most recent books, American Dynasty and Wealth and Democracy, Kevin Phillips established himself as a powerful critic of the political and economic forces that rule - and imperil - the United States, tracing the ever more alarming path of the emerging Republican majority's rise to power. Now Phillips takes an uncompromising view of the newest stage of the GOP majority: an inept and weakly led coalition, dominated by religious zealotry, that is losing America the world's respect - and endangering her future. (NYT #4, PW #8)

THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA, by Michael Pollan. (Penguin, $26.95.) Tracking dinner from the soil to the plate, a journalist juggles appetite and conscience. (NYT #12)

April 12, 2006

Happy Birthday Beverly Cleary

HarperCollins, her publisher is celebrating her birthday with a national promotion called Drop Everything and Read Day (DEAR). If you haven't already, drop everything and pick up a good book and read along with Ramona and Beverly.

Source: Newsweek

Update: Interview with Beverly Cleary on NPR

2006 2X2 Reading List

The 2X2 Reading List is a list of recommended books for children from age 2 to grade 2. It is compiled yearly by the Children's Round Table of the Texas Library Association.

Leo Landry. Eat Your Peas, Ivy Louise!
Ivy Louise's parents encourage her to eat, unaware that the tiny green peas are performing a circus on her tray.

April 10, 2006

New Bestsellers 4/3/06

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 Publisher's Weekly Audio Fiction and Nonfiction Lists were updated for April 2006.

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

Fiction

Christine Feehan. Dark Demon
For as long as she can remember, Natalya has fought demons. Whether Carpathian or vampire, she slays those who murder by night and has no equal--until she is seduced by the very thing she is supposed to be fighting. This premium edition features a Carpathian language glossary. (USA #2)

Jonathan Kellerman. Gone
It's a story tailor-made for the nightly news: Dylan Meserve and Michaela Brand, young lovers and fellow acting students, vanish on the way home from a rehearsal. Three days later, the two of them are found in the remote mountains of Malibu - battered and terrified after a harrowing ordeal at the hands of a sadistic abductor. They are arrested after officials begin to suspect that their story isn't true. Alex Delaware investigates. (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #11)

DARK ASSASSIN, by Anne Perry. (Ballantine, $25.95.) Investigating a young couple's fall from a bridge, William Monk of the Thames River Police finds himself drawn into a nightmarish world of sewer tunnels. (NYT #15)

Elizabeth Peters. Tomb of the Golden Bird
Amelia and her husband Emerson are on the brink of one of the greatest archaeological finds in history--the tomb of King Tut. But the path to discovery is strewn with dangers, and Emerson's halfbrother Sethos might be more involved than he admits. (NYT #7, PW #7)

Nora Roberts, et. al. Bump in the Night
Today's most provocative authors, including Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComan, present new stories of paranormal romance. Includes a new Lt. Eve Dallas story by #1 "New York Times" bestselling author Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb. (USA #8)

Nonfiction

BARBRA: THE WAY SHE IS, by Christopher Andersen. (Morrow, $25.95.) A Streisand biography. (NYT #15)

Phil Town. Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing
The champion of do-it-yourself investing offers a revolutionary new, risk-free paradigm for wealth building. The core of his approach, "Rule #1," is simple: Don't invest to make money; invest to not lose money. From that guiding principle others follow, as Town reveals new ways to achieve stellar returns. (PW #5)

HOME WITH GOD, by Neale Donald Walsch. (Atria, $24.) The final volume of "Conversations With God" discusses death. (NYT #10)

PW Religion

Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan. The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem
Top Jesus scholars Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan join together to reveal a radical and little-known Jesus. As both authors reacted to and responded to questions about Mel Gibson's blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, they discovered that many Christians are unclear on the details of events during the week leading up to Jesus's crucifixion. (#10)

Billy Graham. The Journey: Living By Faith in an Uncertain World
With insight that only comes from a life spent with God, beloved evangelist Billy Graham delivers his magnum opus, the culmination of a lifetime of experience and ministry. Graham leads believers on a journey in faith, to learn about God and his purpose for our lives. (#5)

Garry Willis. What Jesus Meant
As the religious rhetoric of the culture wars escalates, New York Times bestselling author and eminent scholar Garry Wills explores the meaning of Jesus?s teachings. (#7)

April 09, 2006

In the News: Freeman Featured in Chronicle

The Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library was featured in the article - "Library's Are Turning the Page" - appearing in the Saturday, April 9, 2006 edition of the Houston Chronicle. The article, by Salatheia Bryant, is about library's modernization efforts and focuses on the features at Freeman including comfortable seating, the Teen Zone, vending areas, self-check, and laptops.

Director Catherine Park is quoted as saying "I really think if we were the old traditional library, it wouldn't be this popular. We've got to compete. We've got to make the library a destination place."

April 06, 2006

New Bookletters Added

To subscribe to the Romance, Science Fiction, or other Bookletters please visit the Newsletter sign-up page.

See Also: Customized "Bookletters" Available Online

April 05, 2006

New Books/Movies/Audio Lists Updated

Due to popular demand, we have reinstituted the new titles lists for books, audio, and movies, however, we will no longer be providing an archive. For the most up-to-date listing, please check the catalog's New Additions, New DVD, New Video, New Audiobook or New Music browse searches.

The current list is for March 2006.

April 04, 2006

In the News: West U's New Read Posters

Our West University branch recently decided to honor several regular customers by featuring them on Read posters, which premiered during National Library Week, April 2 - 8. Staff members selected customers, and other staff members, to appear in a series of 12 posters currently on display in the branch. The Read posters are featured in a April 4 article in The Examiner.

Harris County Public Library has been printing our own posters for about a year now. Posters range from advertising programs to Read posters. The Read posters are based on the American Library Association's celebrity Read posters and designed using software from ALA.

April 03, 2006

What Do Celebrities Read?

Ever wonder what your favorite celebrity reads? Who your favorite author's favorite author is? Looking for some new inspiration on what to read? Then check out Gardner Library's (ME) 2006 Who Reads What? list. The list has been compiled annually since 1988 by Glenna Nowell.

Highlights of this year's list include musician Greg Allman reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg reading John Marshall: Definer of a Nation by Edward Smith, novelist Sue Grafton reading Snobs by Julian Fellowes, and writer Michael McGarrity reading the Horatio Hornblower series by CS Forester.

Check out the full list for a complete listing of this year's Who Read's What. There are also archived copies of previous years lists and a Celebrity Name Index.

Source: Yahoo! News

4 Things @ HCPL

Recently, a meme has been going around the web about 4 things (e.g. 4 books you've read, 4 TV shows you watch). The following is based on 4 Things @ Your Library from Marin County Public Library & St. Joseph County Public Library

4 Library Online Resources to Know About
These are subscription resources only available from your library--these cannot be found on the open web; we buy them so you don't have to! To access these resources, you'll need your Harris County Public Library card number handy.

Ancestry.com & HeritageQuest
These two genealogy databases have census information going back to the 1700s. Ancestry.com also has phone books, immigration records, and draft records. Note: Ancestry.com is only available in our branches.

Student Resource Center Gold & Opposing Viewpoints
Between these two databases, students have a multitude of resources at their fingertips including primary sources, newspaper and magazine articles, images, and reference material.

ReferenceUSA
Have you tried online phone directories and not been satisifed? Try ReferenceUSA, which has up-to-date (updated monthly) business, residential, and health care listings for the United States.

Safari Tech Books
Looking for computer and technical books? Look no further than Safari. We now offer over 1500 computer books online.

For more great online resources, check out our Databases: Articles & More page.

4 Great Free Programs to Attend

Book Clubs are offered at multiple branch locations. Book discussions vary from mysteries to literature.

In addition to traditional story times, many of our branches now offer Baby Time for parents and children (usually up to age 2; see individual listings for details).

Need to improve your computer skills? Check out our Computer Classes in everything from basic computer skills to Microsfot PowerPoint, which are offered in many of our branches.

April 15 is fast approaching. Get free Tax Assistance at your local branch.

For additional programs, see the Event & Program calendar for your local branch.

4 Book Lists to Check Out

Sounds of Suspense (Audiobooks)
Desperate Housewives (Fiction)
Eighty Books for the 21st Century Girl (Children's)
Quick Picks for Reluctant YA Readers (Young Adult)

Check out our Books & Reading section for more book, movie, and audiobooks lists.

4 Ways to Get Just About Any Question Answered

Walk up to any reference desk at one of our 26 branches.

Talk to the librarian at your neighborhoodbranch.

Use our Ask a Librarian email service 24/7.

Chat live with a librarian from 1 PM - 5 PM, Monday - Friday.

New Bestsellers 4/3/06

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
* = Titles that have previously appeared on the bestseller lists but are new to our catalog

Fiction

INTUITION, by Allegra Goodman. (Dial, $25.) A cancer researcher's dubious finding sets off an investigation and a controversy. (NYT #15)

Tami Hoag. Prior Bad Acts
When an unknown assailant attacks Judge Moore in a parking garage, two of Minneapolis's top cops are called upon to solve the crime and keep the judge from further harm. Detective Sam Kovac is as hard-boiled as they come, and his wisecracking partner, Nikki Liska, isn't far behind. Neither one wants to be on this case, but when Karl Dahl escapes from custody, everything changes, and a seemingly straightforward case cartwheels out of control. (NYT #2, PW #3)

Christopher Moore. A Dirty Job
Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy until the day his dauther Sophie is born. On that day, he sees a strange man in green golf gear standing by his wife's bedside who says no one can see him. But Charlie can and then things start getting weird. (NYT #9, PW #9)

Javier Sierra. The Secret Supper
Already an international phenomenon, this riveting novel depicts a deadly game of wits between the brilliant but religiously suspect Leonardo Da Vinci and a Dominican inquisitor who is intent on bringing him to trial for heresy. (NYT #8, PW #5, USA #8)

Nonfiction

Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams. Game of Shadows
Two reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle write about the steroid controversy in sports and specifically Barry Bonds. (NYT #3, PW #3, USA #4)

Mark Hyman. Ultra-Metabolism
Imparting the seven keys to a healthy weight, including how to control appetite, cool hidden inflammation, and fortify the thyroid, the author presents a simple, six-week program of detox, rebalancing, and then stabilizing the metabolism, complete with menus and recipes from the famous Canyon Ranch. (PW #15)

NYT Business

Phil Town. Rule #1
The champion of do-it-yourself investing offers a revolutionary new, risk-free paradigm for wealth building. The core of his approach, "Rule #1," is simple: Don't invest to make money; invest to not lose money. From that guiding principle others follow, as Town reveals new ways to achieve stellar returns. (#12)