eBranch Blog

October 31, 2006

HCPL Partners With APAHA and iFest for Big Read

Houston and surrounding communities to participate in national program to promote literary reading and will feature Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club
Washington, D.C. ? October 31, 2006 - The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced that Harris County Public Library is one of 72 organizations that will receive grants to support Big Read programs between January and June 2007. The Big Read is a new national program by the NEA, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and Arts Midwest, that encourages literary reading by asking communities to come together to read and discuss one book. The organizations selected to participate in the Big Read will receive grants ranging from $5,000 to $40,000 to promote and carry out month-long, community-based programs. The Big Read in the Houston area will take place in May 2007.

Harris County Public Library received a $40,000 grant to celebrate The Big Read. ?We are thrilled at the opportunity to bring this nationally recognized program to the area,? said HCPL Director Cathy Park.

"We are delighted to be partners in The Big Read. It's exciting to know that our partnership on the national level can make it possible for local communities across the United States to connect around reading a good book,? said IMLS Director Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice. ?My message to the new communities that are now part of The Big Read is: Bravo, I urge everyone to get involved; reading together is a powerful experience!"

Participating communities, ranging in population from 7,000 to more than 4 million, will read and celebrate one of eight classic American novels: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, My Antonia by Willa Cather, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, or The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. To encourage community-wide participation in the project, each organization will collaborate with public and private partners within its community to develop a program of activities related to the selected novel.

Harris County Public Library, in partnership with the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association, Houston?s iFest as well as school districts and library systems in neighboring counties, will provide a variety of cultural programming in addition to book discussions about Tan?s novel. iFest, which is celebrating China this year, will serve as the official kick off for The Big Read program. The school districts that are participating in this program include Houston ISD, Aldine ISD, Clear Creek ISD and Alief ISD. Participating library systems include Montgomery County Memorial Library System, Brazoria County Library System, Sterling Municipal Library, Helen Hall Library and Fort Bend County Library.

In addition to direct grants, the NEA also will provide participating communities with a library of free materials, including reader?s and teacher?s guides for each of the Big Read novels, an audio guide for each novel featuring distinguished actors and writers, an online organizer?s guide for hosting a Big Read program, a customized television public service announcement, Big Read display materials, and a comprehensive program Web site. The Boeing Company will support the Big Read in communities with a military base.

11/7/06: Edited the Title

Stephen King on Audio Books

The novelist Stephen King writes a montly column for Entertainment Weekly. This month his topic in the Pop of King is his love of audio books. His top ten favorites are:

1. Philip Roth. Read by Ron Silver. American Pastroal
2. Larry McMurtry. Read by Wolfram Kandinsky. Lonesome Dove
3. J.K. Rowling. Read by Jim Dale. Harry Potter series
4. Annie Proulx. Read by Arliss Howard. That Old Ace in the Hole
5. Anne Tyler. Read by Blair Brown. Back When We Were Grownups

6. Ian McEwan. Read by Steven Crossley. Enduring Love
7. Patrick O'Brian. Read by Patrick Tull. Aubrey/Maturin Novels
8. Frank McCourt. Read by Frank McCourt. Angela's Ashes
9. Margaret Atwood. Read by Campbell Scott. Oryx and Crake
10. Neil Gaiman. Read by George Guidall. American Gods

WY Boyd Award for Military Fiction

We have added a new book list for the W.Y. Boyd Literary Award. It is awarded annually for excellence in military fiction by the American Library History Roundtable of the American Library Association.

2006
Nick Arvin. Articles of War
Capturing the reality of war with a fidelity and power that echoes the best of classic war writing, this haunting novel brings to life the terrors of a young soldier in shocking, almost hallucinatory detail. George Tilson is an eighteen-year-old Iowan farm boy who enlists in the army during World War II and is sent to Normandy shortly after D-Day. Nicknamed ?Heck? because of his reluctance to curse, he is a typical soldier, willing to do his duty without fuss or much musing about grand goals. The night before he is trucked into the combat zone, Heck meets a young French refugee and her family, an encounter that unsettles him greatly. It is during his first, horrific exposure to combat that Heck discovers a dark truth about himself: He is a coward.

October 30, 2006

2006 PEN Literary Award Winners

The 2006 PEN Literary Award, honoring outstanding works published or produced in 2005 by writers who live west of the Mississippi River, were announced on October 12. The awards will be given at a dinner on December 12. Listed here are winners owned by HCPL. For a complete list of winners, see the PEN website. In addition to the category winners, Jane Smiley and Bob Shaye will receive career achievement awards.

Fiction
Percival Everett. Wounded
Training horses is dangerous - a head-to-head confrontation with 1,000 pounds of muscle and little sense takes courage, but more importantly patience and smarts. It is these same qualities that allow John and his uncle Gus to live in the beautiful high desert of Wyoming. A black horse trainer is a curiosity, at the very least, but a familiar curiosity in these parts. It is the brutal murder of a young gay man, however, that pushes this small community to the teetering edge of intolerance." "As the first blizzard of the season gains momentum, John is forced to reckon not only with the daily burden of unruly horses, a three-legged coyote pup, an escape-artist mule, and too many people, but also with a father-son war over homosexuality, random hate crimes, and - perhaps most frightening of all - a chance for love.

Creative Nonfiction
Michael Chorost. Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human
Michael Chorost became a cyborg the day his new ear was booted up. Born hard of hearing, he went completely deaf in his thirties. Rather than live in silence, he chose to have a computer surgically embedded in his skull to restore his hearing. This is the story of Chorost's journey--from deafness to hearing, from human to cyborg--and how it transformed him. The melding of silicon and flesh has long been the stuff of science fiction, but as Chorost reveals in this memoir, fantasy is now giving way to reality. He found his new body mystifyingly mechanical: he could plug himself directly into a CD player; his hearing was routinely upgraded with new software. All this forced him to confront complex questions about humans in the machine age: When the senses become programmable, can we trust what they tell us about the world?
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Research Nonfiction
Adam Hochschild. Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves
From the author of the widely acclaimed King Leopold's Ghost comes the taut, gripping account of one of the most brilliantly organized social justice campaigns in history - the fight to free the slaves of the British Empire. In early 1787, twelve men - a printer, a lawyer, a clergyman, and others united by their hatred of slavery - came together in a London printing shop and began the world's first grass-roots movement, battling for the rights of people on another continent. Masterfully stoking public opinion, the campaign's leaders pioneered a variety of techniques that have been adopted by citizens' movements ever since, from consumer boycotts to wall posters to lapel buttons to celebrity endorsements. A deft chronicle of this groundbreaking antislavery crusade and its powerful enemies, Bury the Chains gives a little-celebrated human rights watershed its due at last.

Children's Literature
Virginia Canales. The Tequila Worm
Sofia grows up in the close-knit community of the barrio in McAllen, Texas, then finds that her experiences as a scholarship student at an Episcopal boarding school in Austin only strengthen her ties to family and her "comadres."

New Best Sellers 10/30/06

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

David Baldacci. The Collectors
The assassination of a Supreme Court justice sets the members of the Camel Club in a race to prevent a silent yet bloody coup in Washington. (NYT #2, PW #2)

Elizabeth George. What Came Before He Shot Her
In North Kensington three orphaned mixed-race children are bounced from one home to another. The middle child Joel takes care of the youngest, Toby, who isn't quite right. When a local gang threatens the oldest child, Toby, Joel makes a pact with the devil that ends in the murder of Thomas Lynley's wife. (NYT #7, PW #7)

Robert Ludlum. The Bancroft Strategy
Fired after an operation goes awry, Todd Belknap, a renegade ex-field agent, takes matters into his own hands when a friend is abducted in Lebanon by a vicious militia group and the government refuses to intervene. (NYT #10, PW #11)

Nonfiction

CONTROVERSY CREATES CASH, by Eric Bischoff with Jeremy Roberts. (World Wrestling Entertainment/Pocket, $26.) A memoir by the former president of World Championship Wrestling. (NYT #16)

Bill Bryson. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language comes a vivid, nostalgic, and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the middle of the United States in the middle of the last century. (NYT #6, PW #8)

Deepak Chopra. Life After Death
Learn the life skills necessary to live each day mindfully and pursue your dreams in earnest; take specific steps to develop eternal inner youth; learn how to find the road back to joy after you lose someone dear; enrich and improve the quality of your daily life with simple practices that help you break through negative patterns, move from fear to love and achieve a life of fulfillment and authentic power. (PW #13)

Barack Obama. The Audacity of Hope
The junior senator from Illinois discusses how to transform U.S. politics, calling for a return to America's original ideals and revealing how they can address such issues as globalization and the function of religion in public life. (NYT #2, PW #2, USA #3)

Amy Sedaris. I Like You
America's most delightfully unconventional hostess provides jackpot recipes and solid advice laced with her blisteringly funny take on entertaining--plus four-color photos and enlightening sidebars on everything it takes to pull off a party with extraordinary flair. (NYT #10, PW #11)

October 24, 2006

HCPL's Brand Manual Featured in the Houston Business Journal

The Houston Business Journal featured the new Harris County Public Library Brand Manual in their online edition Monday, October 23 in a story entitled Harris County Libraries Open the Book on New Brand. The story covers our effort to promote the library through use of brand and marketing techniques.

New Bestsellers 10/23/06

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 Criticas Fiction and Nonfiction lists have been updated for October.

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

Michael Connelly. Echo Park
Detective Harry Bosch, now in the Open-unsolved Unit, receives a call from the DA telling him a serial killer has confessed to several murders. Harry must interview the man about a case he couldn't crack involving the murder of a 22-year-old woman whose body was never found. (NYT #2, PW #2, USA #8)

Vince Flynn. Act of Treason
Promising an explosive conclusion, "Act of Treason" is the eighth thriller by "New York Times" bestselling author Flynn featuring the spine-tingling exploits of CIA operative Mitch Rapp. (NYT #3, PW #3, USA #7)

Lemony Snicket. The End: A Series of Unfortunate Events #13
Lost at sea, the Baudelaire orphans, along with the evil Count Olaf, wash up on the shore of an island populated by an oddly placid group of inhabitants, and they try to decide whether or not they are truly safe. (USA #1)

Stuart Woods. Short Straw
Ed Eagle, Santa Fe's preeminent trial lawyer, first introduced in Woods's Santa Fe Rules, finds himself in extreme domestic difficulties. On the morning of his fiftieth birthday, as he is about to open his elegant new law offices, Eagle learns that he is in the sort of trouble usually reserved for his unluckiest clients. Quickly marshaling his resources, which include two private detectives, an accused murderer, an ace ex-IRS agent, he begins a campaign to save his law practice, his wealth, his reputation, and his self-respect from the astonishing machinations of the person closest to him. (NYT #6, PW #6)

Nonfiction

Lou Dobbs. War on the Middle Class
Offering solutions as well as commentary, prominent CNN host and commentator Lou Dobbs unleashes his manifesto on the vanishing American dream. (NYT #9, PW #11)

Carly Fiorina. Tough Choices
By accepting the CEO job at Hewlett-Packard, an iconic company that had lost its way, Carly Fiorina confirmed her status as the most powerful businesswoman in America. But she also made herself a target for everyone who disliked her bold leadership style and resented her rapid rise. (NYT #8, PW #8)

John Grisham. The Innocent Man
Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. In his first work of nonfiction, John Grisham delivers his most extraordinary thriller yet. (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #2)

Suzanne Somers. Ageless
In this eagerly anticipated follow-up to "The Sexy Years," Somers gives an inspiring, medically validated approach to the aging process and maintaining a healthy, vibrant, sexually active life--no matter what one's age. (PW #6, USA #12)

Donald J. Trump & Robert T. Kiyosaki. Why Want You to be Rich
The world is facing many challenges and one of them is financial. The entitlement mentality is epidemic, creating people who expect their countries, employers, or families to take care of them. Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki, both successful businessmen, are natural teachers and have joined forces to address these challenges. They believe you cannot solve money problems with money. You can only solve money problems with financial education. Trump and Kiyosaki want to teach you to be rich. (PW #3, USA #9)

PW Religion

Joel Rosenberg. Epicenter: Why Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future
Novelist Rosenberg, an evangelical Christian and former Orthodox Jew, explores the issues surrounding the Middle East. (#8)

October 16, 2006

2006 Nobel Prize in Literature

Orahn Pamuk, of Turkey, is the 2006 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to the individual who "shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction."

Pamuk was born in Istanbul in 1952. He wrote his first novel - Cevdet Bey Ve Oğulları - in 1982. His international breakthrough novel, was 1985's Beyaz Kale (The White Castle). Pamuk's latest novel is Snow (Kar), written in 2002.

Books by Orhan Pamuk in HCPL
Biography - Nobel site.
Orhan Pamuk - Official site

New Bestsellers 10/16/06

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.

Library Journal's Fiction & Nonfiction lists have been updated for October 15.

Publisher's Weekly Children's Picture Book list has been updated for October 16.

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

Janet Evanovich. Motor Mouth
It's the last race of the season and Sam Hooker's NASCAR raceday spotter is Alexandra Barnaby. From her vantage point high above the grandstand she sees things going on in the infield that will change her life. From Miami, Florida to Concord, North Carolina and back to Miami, this is an action-packed multi-car crash of shady dealings, stolen technology, drive-thru windows, and destruction of personal property. (PW #3)

Richard Paul Evans. Finding Noel
The bestselling author of "The Christmas Box" brings the magic back to Christmas in his heartwarming new book. (PW #15)

Charles Frazier. Thirteen Moons
Brilliantly imagined, written with great power and beauty by the author of "Cold Mountain, Thirteen Moons" is a stunning novel about a man's passion for a woman, and how loss, longing, and love can shape a man's destiny over the many moons of a life. (PW #2)

Laurell K. Hamilton. Strange Candy
Number one "New York Times" bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton offers a short story collection that includes an all-new Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter story. (PW #5)

Nonfiction

Richard Dawkins. The God Delusion
A preeminent scientist - and the world's most prominent atheist - asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. (PW #9)

Frank Lawlis. The IQ Answer
Dr. Lawlis, the primary contributing psychologist for "The Dr. Phil Show," offers practical advice on boosting brain power for the whole family. "The I.Q. Answer" is a fascinating and user-friendly guide to fulfilling one's potential, and will help readers with everything from ADHD to stubborn mental blocks. (PW #13)

Hampton Sides. Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West
Brings the history of the American conquest of the West to ringing life. (PW #14)

Library Journal Nonfiction

Don Piper. 90 Minutes in Heaven
On the Way home from a conference, Don Piper's car was crushed by a semi truck that crossed into his lane. Medical personnel said he died instantly. While his body lay lifeless inside the ruins of his car, Piper experienced the glories of heaven, awed by its beauty and music. Ninety minutes after the wreck, while a minister prayed for him, Piper miraculously returned to life on earth with only the memory of inexpressible heavenly bliss. His faith in God was severely tested as he faced an uncertain and grueling recovery. (#12)

October 11, 2006

2006 Quill Awards Announced

The 2006 Quill Awards were announced October 10. The two year old Awards were designed to be a "consumer's choice" book award in a variety of categories.

10/23: Updated links for Julie & Julie and It's Not Easy Being Green.

Book of the Year
Tyler Perry. Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings
The first book from the creative force known as Tyler Perry is a confessional memoir in the voice of Madea, the beloved, sharp-tongued, worldly, pistol-packing grandma who is at the center of his popular stage shows and the star of his #1 hit movie, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."

Debut Author of the Year
Julie Powell. Julie and Julia
Julie Powell needs something to break the monotony of her life. So, she invents a deranged assignment: She will take her mother's dog-eared copy of Julia Child's 1961 classic, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," and cook all 524 recipes in the span of just one year.

Audio Book
John Grogan. Marley and Me
Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans.

Children's Illustrated Book
Laura Joffe Numeroff. Illustrated by Felicia Bond. If You Give a Pig a Party
If you give a pig a party, she's going to ask for some balloons to decorate the house with. Then she'll call all her friends and have a great big party.

Children's Chapter Book/Middle Grade
Lemony Snicket. The Penultimate Peril
The Baudelaire orphans disguise themselves as employees of the Hotel Denoument and find themselves pursued by the evil Count Olaf and by others.

Young Adult/Teen
Christopher Paolini. Eldest
After successfully evading an Urgals ambush, Eragon is adopted into the Ingeitum clan and sent to finish his training so he can further help the Varden in their struggle against the Empire.

General Fiction
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.

Graphic Novel
Masashi Kishimoto. Naruto, Volume 7
As the fight rages within the Forest of Death, Sasuke struggles with the strange force growing inside him, spreading from the curse-mark Orochimaru burned into his neck. It could leave him dead or send him on a bloodthirsty quest for power.

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Janet Evanovich. Twelve Sharp
Everyone's favorite bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is back, struggling with her tangled love life, her chaotic family, and her gift for destroying every car she drives. Not to mention the sudden appearance of a female stalker, who turns out to have a close connection to Ranger.

Poetry
Maya Angelou. Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem
In this beautiful, deeply moving poem, Maya Angelou inspires us to embrace the peace and promise of Christmas, so that hope and love can once again light up our holidays and the world.

Romance
Nora Roberts. Blue Smoke
The blaze that night at her family's pizzeria changed young Reena Hale's life. Now as a fire investigator, she tries desperately to trace the origins of the taunting phone calls she's receiving, the fires, and the hatred aimed in her direction. In doing so, she will step into the worst inferno she has ever faced.

Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
Diana Gabaldon. A Breath of Snow and Ashes
A Breath of Snow and Ashes continues the extraordinary story of 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his 20th-century wife, Claire. The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest. With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result will be independence -- with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from "The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie's death, along with his kin. For once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future.

Religion/Spirituality
T.D. Jakes. Mama Made the Difference
From the author of He-Motions comes a positive and inspirational book of lessons learned from his mother.

Biography/Memoir
John Grogan. Marley and Me
Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans.

Business
Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio. The Girl's Guide to Being a Boss (Without Being a Bitch)

Cooking
Rachael Ray. Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats: A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners
Bestselling cookbook phenom and Food Network megastar Ray is back with her most indispensable cookbook yet, filled with enough 30-minute recipes and variation to put something different and irresistible on the table every night for an entire year.

Health/Self Improvement
Jim Henson.
It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to ConsiderFew things evoke such a universal feeling of warmth and humor as the work of Jim Henson. In his own words, as well as those of some of his best-known characters like Kermit the Frog and Ernie, we get a glimpse of the philosophy and humor that was so essential to Jim's creations. We'll also get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the collaborative spirit of this gentle artistic genius from the people Jim knew, loved, and inspired.

History/Current Events/Politics
Al Gore. An Inconvenient Truth
Published to tie in to a documentary film of the same name, "An Inconvenient Truth" is Gore's battle cry about what needs to be done about global warming.

Humor
Tyler Perry. Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings
The first book from the creative force known as Tyler Perry is a confessional memoir in the voice of Madea, the beloved, sharp-tongued, worldly, pistol-packing grandma who is at the center of his popular stage shows and the star of his #1 hit movie, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."

Sports
Holly Robinson Peete. Get Your Own Damn Beer, I'm Watching the Game!: A Woman's Guide to Loving Pro Football
Finally, a chicks guide to the game that is smart, knowledgeable, and thoroughly female.

HCPL Digital Media Catalog - Overdrive Console 2.1 Released

Are you among the hundreds of customers enjoying the new HCPL Digital Media Catalog for downloadable eAudio Books and Music? If so, you should be aware that our provider, Digital Library Reserve released a new version of the Overdrive Media Console today. The main new feature is a Transfer Wizard for transfering audio to portable devices. Using the Transfer Wizard takes just a few clicks and does not require the launch of Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player is still required to burn titles to CD (when available).

While this upgrade is not required, if you transfer your eAudio and Music titles to a portable device, you may want to consider upgrading. To upgrade, click the Overdrive Media Console button in the menu on the left and follow the instructions.

October Kids Newsletter

The October/November 2006 issue of the Kids Newsletter is now available!

The Kids Newsletter is produced every other month and features news about Harris County Public Library children's programming. It also contains interviews with our Children's Staff and new children's books that we have just added to our collection.

This issue features Children's Book Week. Celebrated the week of November 13-19, this year's theme is More Books, Please!

The staff interviews in this issue are with Miss Karen of the Barbara Bush @ Cypress Creek Branch Library and Mr. Mark of the LaPorte Community Library.

October 10, 2006

Texas Report on HMOs Released

The Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel has released two annual reports relating to HMOs in the state of Texas.

Comparing Texas HMOs 2006 - Focuses on the satisfaction of members with their HMOs.

Guide To Texas HMO Quality 2006 - Compares quality of care delivered by Texas HMOs.

The main website for the Office of Public Insurance Counsel is linked to on our Health & Medicine links page.

New Bestsellers 10/9/06

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

Mitch Albom. For One More Day
Charley, a child of divorce was always forced to choose between his mother and his father. When he is grown, with a family of his own, he secretly visits his father one weekend and his mother dies. This event haunts him and his own family starts to unravel. When he decides to take his own life he ends up somewhere between this world and the next, where he encounters his mother again, in their hometown, and gets to spend one last day with herthe day he missed and always wished he'd had. (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #1)

Dick Francis. Under Orders
Sid Halley, former jockey-turned-detective, returns. Death at the races is not uncommon, but three in one day--including a winning horse and champion jockey--are more than enough to raise Halley's suspicions. (NYT #3, PW #4)

Neil Gaiman. Fragile Things
Short fiction, including a short story set in the world of The Matrix, and others set in the worlds of gothic fiction and children's fiction; can be found in this extraordinary collection, which showcases Gaiman's storytelling brilliance as well as his terrifyingly entertaining dark sense of humor. (NYT #14%2, PW #13)

Drew Karpyshyn. Death Bane: Path of Destruction
Once the Sith order teemed with followers. But their rivalries divided them in endless battles for supremacy. Until one dark lord at last united the Sith in the quest to enslave the galaxy?and exterminate the Jedi. Yet it would fall to another, far more powerful than the entire Brotherhood of Darkness, to ultimately realize the full potential of the Sith, and wield the awesome power of the dark side as never before. (NYT #11, PW #9)

Cormac McCarthy. The Road
America is a barren landscape of smoldering ashes, devoid of life except for those people still struggling to scratch out some type of existence. Amidst the destruction, a father and his young son walk, always toward the coast, but with no real understanding that circumstances will improve once they arrive. Still they persevere, and their relationship comes to represent goodness in a world that is utterly devastated. (NYT #4, PW #2)

Fern Michaels. Sweet Revenge
Isabelle Flanders had everything--her own architectural firm, her fianc Bobby, a life she deserved--until Rosemary Hershey came and stole it all. Took her reputation, her clients, her man, and even framed her for drunk driving--killing three innocent people in the process. The loyal Sisterhood agrees: Rosemary has to be punished, along with the conniving Bobby. (USA #10)

Nonfiction

Elizabeth Edwards. Saving Graces
Memoir of the wife of former vice presidentail candidate John Edwards, who is also a cancer survivor. (NYT #4, PW #3)

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE, by Daniel Goleman. (Bantam, $28.) The author of "Emotional Intelligence" argues that our brains are designed for sociability. (NYT #13)

Pervez Musharraf. In the Line of Fire
In this unprecedented event, the president of one of the world's most crucial nations offers his candid thoughts on Pakistan's confrontations with India, 9/11 and its aftermath, on Israel, on bin Laden and al Queda, and on the status of women in Pakistan. (NYT #8, PW #12)

Bill O'Reilly. Culture Warrior
With three straight #1 bestsellers and over 4 million copies of his books in print, O'Reilly takes off his gloves in the ongoing struggle for America's heart and soul. (NYT #1, PW #1, USA #5)

U2 and Neil McCormick. U2 by U2
A biography of the band told through interviews with each member and their manager Paul McGuinness. (NYT #7, PW #10)

Bob Woodward. State of Denial
After two #1 "New York Times" bestsellers on the Bush administration's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Woodward's new book on the Bush White House again provides an unparalleled, intimate account of the present state of national security decision-making. (NYT #2, PW #2, USA #7)

NYT Business

Linda Kaplan Thaler & Robin Koval. The Power of Nice
Thaler and Koval have moved to the top of the advertising industry by following a simple but powerful philosophy: it pays to be nice. Challenging the mean-spirited "me or you" mentality, they show that "nice" companies have lower employee turnover, lower recruitment costs, and higher productivity. (#11)

John C. Maxwell. The Difference Maker
Leadership expert John Maxwell believes attitude is one thing that can make all the difference in someone's life---and now shows how to make it one's best asset. (#15)

Steve Wozniak with Gina Smith. iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It
Biography of the co-founder of Apple Computers. (#14

October 02, 2006

New Best Sellers 10/2/06

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. Bestsellers new last week are indicated with **.

Publisher's Weekly Audio Fiction & Nonfiction lists have been updated for October 2.

The Criticas Fiction and Nonfiction lists have been updated for September.

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

Max Brooks. World War Z **
The author has traveled across the United States collecting eyewitness accounts from survivors of the Zombie War. (NYT #10, PW #10)

Eoin Colfer. Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony **
Once again, Artemis will have to pair up with his old comrade, captain Holly Short, to track down the missing demon and rescue him before the time spell dissolves and the lost demon colony returns violently to Earth. (USA #3)

Tess Gerritsen. The Mephisto Club **
Evil exists. Evil walks the streets. And evil has spawned a diabolical new disciple in this white-knuckle thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. (NYT #8, PW #7)

A SPOT OF BOTHER, by Mark Haddon. (Doubleday, $24.95.) The world of a mild-mannered British family man falls apart; from the author of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." (NYT #15)

Robert Harris. Imperium
From the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Fatherland" and "Pompeii" comes an epic blockbuster about the violent, treacherous world of Roman politics and the struggle for supreme power. (NYT #7, PW #9)

John Le Carre. The Mission Song
Bruno "Salvo" Salvandor is an interpreter for the British government who was born in the Eastern Congo. He is promoted to live interpretation for a conference involving three African warlords and a Congo leader where he discovers the plan is not democracy but to steal the mineral wealth. Salvo and his girlfriend set out to thwart the plot. (NYT #3, PW #2, USA #15)

Alice McDermott. After This **
A portrait of an American family during the middle decades of the twentieth century evokes the social, spiritual, and political turmoil of the era as seen through the experiences of a middle-class couple and their children. (PW #15)

Diane Setterfield. The Thirteenth Tale **
Amateur biographer Margaret Lea receives a letter from reclusive author Vida Winter, summoning her to write Vida's life story. As Margaret pieces together Vida's story on her own, what she discovers is a chilling and transforming experience. (NYT #1, PW #1)

Alexander McCall Smith. The Right Attitude to Rain
When friends from Dallas arrive in Edinburgh and introduce Isabel to Tom Bruce, a bigwig at home in Texas, several confounding situations unfurl at once. Tom's young fianc?e's roving eye leads Isabel to believe that money may be the root of her love for Tom. But what, Isabel wonders, is the root of the interest Tom begins to show for Isabel herself? And she can't forget about her niece, Cat, who's busy falling for a man whom Isabel suspects of being an incorrigible mama's boy. Of course Grace and Isabel's friend Jamie counsel Isabel to stay out of all of it, but there are irresistible philosophical issues at stake, when to tell the truth and when to keep one's mouth shut. (NYT #11, PW #8)

Nonfiction

AIR AMERICA: THE PLAYBOOK, by David Bender, Chuck D, Thom Hartmann et al. (Rodale, $26.95.) Essays, transcripts, and interviews from "a bunch of left-wing media types." (NYT #14)

Sam Harris. Letter to a Christian Nation
?Thousands of people have written to tell me that I am wrong not to believe in God. The most hostile of these communications have come from Christians. This is ironic, as Christians generally imagine that no faith imparts the virtues of love and forgiveness more effectively than their own. The truth is that many who claim to be transformed by Christ?s love are deeply, even murderously, intolerant of criticism. While we may want to ascribe this to human nature, it is clear that such hatred draws considerable support from the Bible. How do I know this? The most disturbed of my correspondents always cite chapter and verse.? (NYT #7, PW #13)

Michael Isikoff and David Corn. Hubris **
Hubris takes us behind the scenes at the Bush White House, the CIA, the Pentagon, the State Department, and Congress to answer all the vital questions about how the Bush administration came to invade Iraq. (NYT #12, PW #12)

Robin McGraw. Inside My Heart **
McGraw speaks directly to the heart of every woman and challenges her to recognize and develop her unique role to lead her to satisfaction with herself, her profession, her family, and anything she strives after. (PW #1)

James E. McGreevey. The Confession
Autobiography of the former New Jersey Governor who came out as a homosexual during office. (NYT #3, PW #3, USA #12)

THE LOST, by Daniel Mendelsohn. (HarperCollins, $27.95.) A critic tracks down the story of a great-uncle and his family, who were killed in the Holocaust. (NYT #16)

Bob Newhart. I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This
The first book from an icon of American comedy is a hilarious combination of stories from his career and observations about life. (NYT #8, PW #8)

Frank Rich. The Greatest Story Ever Sold
When American was attacked on 9/11, its citizens almost unanimously rallied behind its new, untested president as he went to war. What they didn't know at the time was that the Bush administration's highest priority would be not to vanquish Al Qaeda but to consolidate its own power at any cost. (NYT #2, PW #2, USA #11)