eBranch Blog

September 19, 2006

Books on the Bayou 2006

Books on the Bayou is an annual city-wide reading program. This year's books are:

For Adults...
Rachel Simon. Riding The Bus With My Sister:A True Life Journey
Beth is a spirited woman with mental retardation, who spends nearly every day riding the buses in Philadelphia. The drivers, a lively group, are her mentors; her fellow passengers are her community. When Beth asks her sister Rachel to accompany her on the buses for one year, they take a transcendent journey together that changes Rachel's life in incredible ways and leads her to accept her sister at long last-teaching her to slow down and enjoy the ride.
Reading Guide

For Teens...
Edward Bloor. Tangerine
Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the incident that damaged his eyesight.
Reading Guide

For Middle Schoolers...
Sarah Weeks. So B. It
After spending her life with her mentally retarded mother and agora phobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York to find out who she is.
Reading Guide

For Pre-Schoolers...
Robert Kraus. Leo the Late Bloomer
Leo, a young tiger, finally blooms under the anxious eyes of his parents.

For more information see the Books on the Bayou website.

New Bestsellers 9/18/06

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

Christine Feehan. Dark Celebration
For the first time, all the inhabitants of Feehan's Carpathian legend reunite for a celebration of sensual adventure, undying passion, and astonishing fantasy. (NYT #3, PW #2, USA #6)

Christine Feehan, Marjorie M. Liu. Dark Dreamers
She's known him since she was fifteen. Every night, he is with her: his face, his voice. Tonight, Sara Marten will meet the man who is both angel and demon, salvation and temptation: Falcon- the Carpathian, the banished hero. Tonight, Sara will meet the dark-eyed destroyer destined to be her mate. (USA #15)

Mark Haddon. A Spot of Bother
George Hall's comfortable retirement is shattered by the madness of family life as he and his family prepare for his daughter Katie's wedding. (PW #14)

ALL AUNT HAGAR'S CHILDREN, by Edward P. Jones. (Amistad, $25.95.) Short stories, mostly set in Washington, by the author of "The Known World." (NYT #13)

Brad Meltzer. The Book of Fate
A two-hundred-year-old code devised by Thomas Jefferson becomes the key to a present-day conspiracy at the highest levels of Washington and the power elite of Palm Beach. (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #7)

Jeb Rubenfeld. The Interpretation of Murder
Dr. Freud is called in when a young woman and her parents are attacked by a killer and she can't remember the details of the attack. (PW #12)

J.R. Ward. Lover Awakened
Third in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. (USA #13)

Jennifer Weiner. The Guy Not Taken
A collection of short stories, following the tender, and often hilarious, progress of love and relationships over the course of a lifetime. (NYT #10, PW #7)

Nonfiction

Sylvia Browne. Exploring the Levels of Creation
Author and spiritual teacher Browne tackles the structure of Creation by showing readers that there is purpose and order in the seemingly chaotic world. She outlines the structural levels of Creation, the reality of the afterlife, and the heretofore-unexplored structure of the Lower Levels of Creation. (PW #13)

CHUCK KLOSTERMAN IV, by Chuck Klosterman. (Scribner, $25.) Essays on popular culture from the author of "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs." (NYT #15)

BANKRUPT, by David Limbaugh. (Regnery, $27.95.) The intellectual and moral bankruptcy of the Democratic Party, by a lawyer and syndicated columnist. (NYT #12)

Joyce Meyer. The Confident Woman
Joyce Meyer's discussion of the clear steps women must take in their faith to become confident, assured, and independent in their walk with God. (PW #7)

September 11, 2006

New Bestsellers 9/11/06

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

Terry Brooks. Armageddon's Children
Fifty years from now, the world is a very different place. Thousands live in highly fortified strongholds, and demons have taken over. The Knights of the Word are on a quest to rescue a group of young people who hold the hope of the world. (NYT #6, PW #4)

Stephanie Laurens. To Distraction
The gentlemen of the Bastion Club have proven their courage while fighting England's enemies, but nothing has prepared them for dealing with that most formidable of challenges: the opposite sex. (USA #5)

Debbie Macomber. 6 Rainier Drive
This latest novel in Debbie's popular Cedar Cove series continues the story line established in 50 Harbor Street. The Lighthouse Restaurant burned to the ground in an act of arson and the prime suspect is a young ex-employee named Anson Butler, who disappeared right after the fire. (USA #3)

Claire Messud. The Emperor's Children
A novel about the intersections in the lives of three friends, now on the cusp of their thirties, making their way - and not - in New York City. (NYT #5, PW #7)

FOOL ME ONCE, by Fern Michaels. (Kensington, $24.) A young woman grapples with revelations about her mother's true identity and her past. (NYT #16)

Walter Mosley. Fortunate Son
Eric and Tommy despite their differences are as close as two humans can be, after tragedy rips their makeshift family apart, the lives of these boys split. In a powerful story of modern-day resilience and redemption, Tommy and Eric forge their separate ways in the world, each confronting his own challenges. (E #8)

Anna Quindlen. Rise and Shine
It's an otherwise ordinary Monday when Meghan Fitzmaurice's perfect life hits a wall. A household name as the host of Rise and Shine, the country's highest-rated morning television talk show, Meghan cuts to a commercial break - but not before she does something that, in an instant, marks the end of an era, not only for Meghan, who is unaccustomed to dealing with adversity, but also for her younger sister, Bridget. (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #6)

Nora Roberts. Morrigan's Cross
As a storm rages, the tale of a powerful vampire's lust for destruction--and of the circle of six charged by the goddess Morrigan to stop her--begins in this brand-new trilogy. (USA #1)

Karen Traviss. Star Wars: Legacy of the Force Bloodlines
Civil war looms as the fledgling Galactic Alliance confronts a growing number of rebellious worlds?and the approaching war is tearing the Skywalker and Solo families apart. (USA #12)

Nonfiction

Pearl Cleage. We Speak Your Names: A Celebration
For three days - from May 13 to 15, 2005 - a distinguished group of women was invited to celebrate the enduring achievements of twenty-five of their mentors and role models - and in the process pay tribute to the long, glorious tradition of African American accomplishment. The centerpiece of the weekend was the reading aloud of Pearl Cleage's poem "We Speak Your Names," written especially for the occasion and appearing here for the first time in this keepsake book. (E #4)

Michael Eric Dyson. Come Hell or High Water
Displaying the intellectual rigor, political passion, and personal empathy that have won him acclaim and fans all across the color line, Michael Eric Dyson offers a searing assessment of the meaning of Hurricane Katrina. Combining a fresh look at the key players in the disaster with his deep knowledge of black migrations and government policy over decades, Dyson provides the historical context that has been sorely missing from public conversation. (E #7)

Chris Gardner. The Pursuit of Happyness
At the age of twenty, Milwaukee native Chris Gardner, just out of the Navy, arrived in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. Considered a prodigy in scientific research, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry-level position at a prestigious firm than Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him as part of the city's working homeless and with a toddler son. (E #6)

J. Randy Taraborrelli. Elizabeth
From the bestselling author of "Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Ranier," comes this fascinating biography of film legend Elizabeth Taylor. (NYT #11, PW #13)

ENOUGH, by Juan Williams. (Crown, $25.) The NPR senior correspondent attacks the "phony leaders, dead-end movements and culture of failure that are undermining black America." (NYT #12)

September 05, 2006

Women Painters in Print - West U. Librarian's Article in LJ

Keddy Outlaw, branch librarian at West University Branch Library, has contributed a second article entitled "With Brush in Hand: Women Painters in Print" to the Reader's Shelf column, in Library Journal. Keddy delves into the lives of women who paint through a selection of novels. 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:

Susan Vreeland. The Forest Lover - See also Growing Pains: The Autobiography of Emily Carr
Margaret Atwood. Cat's Eye
The Incantation of Frida K. - See also The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait
Sharyn Rohlfsen Udall. Carr, O'Keeffe, Kahlo: Places of Their Own
Joe Coomer. A Pocketful of Names
Sarah Dunant. The Birth of Venus
Harriet Scott Chessman. Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper
Katie Schneider. All We Know of Love

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

See Also West U. Librarian's Article Published in Library Journal from 12/2005

New! Downloadable eAudio Books

It?s 10 p.m. and you forgot to stop by the library to pick up an audio book for tomorrow morning?s 8 a.m. commute. If you?re like many of us, you love listening to audio books on your way to work, on vacation and just for fun. But what do you do if the library is closed and you want a book NOW? Download it tonight of course!

With Harris County Public Library?s new Digital Media Collection, powered by technology from Overdrive, Inc., many customers will be doing just that with the hundreds of titles currently available to them. Starting September 5 these books will be available to all Harris County Public Library customers. Many popular fiction authors ? including James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts, Robert Parker are included for checkout. You?ll also have many other types of books from which to choose: fantasy, literature, mysteries, children?s books, self-improvement, health, religion, family life, business, humor & more. The audio books can be checked out, enjoyed and returned without ever even setting foot in the library. That means you can check out your book in the comfort of your own home.

Getting started is easy. Just visit http://hcpl.lib.overdrive.com, install the free Overdrive Media Console software from our website and browse the collection for the titles you want. It?s a lot like shopping. Just put the items you want in your cart and when you?ve completed your ?trip to the library? you can check out using your library card. You can then download your titles to your home computer. Once downloaded, you can transfer them to a portable device (MP3) or burn selected audio books directly to CD. Currently, you can download titles from your home computer but not at the library.

These items return themselves in two weeks so there is never a late fee! In addition to audio books, the HCPL Digital Media Collection includes eBooks and music. Harris County Public Library?s digital collection is open 24/7. Instructions are available on the site.

New Bestsellers 9/4/06

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

Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson. Hunters of Dune
"Hunters of Dune" and the concluding volume, "Sandworms of Dune," bring together the great story lines and beloved characters in Frank Herbert's classic Dune universe, ranging from the time of the Butlerian Jihad to the original Dune series and beyond. (NYT #3, PW #3)

Frederick Forsyth. The Afghan
When British and American intelligence catch wind of a major Al Qaeda operation in the works, they instantly galvanize--but to do what? They know nothing about it: the what, where, or when. They have no sources in Al Qaeda, and it's impossible to plant someone. Impossible, unless-- The Afghan is Izmat Khan, a five-year prisoner of Guant?namo Bay and a former senior commander of the Taliban. The Afghan is also Colonel Mike Martin, a twenty-five-year veteran of war zones around the world--a dark, lean man born and raised in Iraq. In an attempt to stave off disaster, the intelligence agencies will try to do what no one has ever done before--pass off a Westerner as an Arab among Arabs. (NYT #4, PW #4)

Nonfiction

Patrick J. Buchanan. State of Emergency
America's leading populist conservative alerts the nation that if illegal immigration is not dealt with immediately, then the deconstruction of America--along the lines of culture and values, language and faith, allegiance and loyalty--will continue. (NYT #3, PW #3, USA #11)

Lou Holtz. Wins, Losses and Lessons
A legendary football coach, motivational speaker, and bestselling author now tells the inspirational story of his life. (PW #11)

LA BELLA FIGURA, by Beppe Svergnini. (Broadway, $23.95.) A columnist for Corriere della Sera offers a "field guide to the Italian mind." (NYT #14)

Kevin Trudeau. More Natural "Cures" Revealed
Trudeau offers further natural remedies. (PW #14)

NYT Business

Seth Godin. Small Is the New Big
This compilation of the author's blog writings and magazine columns guides readers through his new marketing world with well-turned phrases and more developed pieces. (#15)

September 01, 2006

2006 Mythopoeic Awards Announced

The Mythopoeic Awards are given annually to the fantasy novel that best exemplifies "the spirit of the Inklings."

Adult Literature
Neil Gaiman. Anansi Boys
Neil Gaiman now gives us a mythology for a modern age -- complete with dark prophecy, family dysfunction, mystical deceptions, and killer birds. Not to mention a lime.

Children's Literature
Jonathan Stroud. The Bartimaeus Trilogy
The adventures of Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, and the djinni Bartimaeus, whom Nathaniel summons.