If you are thinking of buying an ebook reader, then it makes sense to compare the 3 big boys on the market, the Barnes and Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle 2 and the new Sony Reader Touch Edition. Here's a detailed comparison of all three to help you choose.
Firstly, let's examine the similarities in all 3 ebook readers.
Display Screen- The Nook, Kindle 2, and Reader all take advantage of the cutting edge display technology called "E-Ink". This isn't your run-of-the-mill computer screen with pixels. This screen displays the text and pictures (gray-scale) right up against the bottom of the display glass. This allows you to see the crystal clear text even at extreme angles and lighting situations.
Text can be changed to different sizes for all 3 models as well.
Audio Support- All 3 devices allow you to download and listen to mp3 songs while reading.
Pricing- Pricing is comparable between the 3 devices.
Differences between the 3 devices.
Wireless and 3G- The Nook and Kindle 2 allows you to access the web to download new titles and publications. The Sony Touch does not, instead you need to hook up the reader to the computer via USB and download the books. It should be mentioned the Sony Reader Daily Edition will have Wireless and 3G when it is released. This model will be more expensive than the Nook and Kindle 2 by quite a lot, so that is why this model was not included in this comparison!
Color Navigation Screen- The color navigation below the display screen on the Nook sets it apart from the other ebook readers. You can peruse color pictures of book covers. This has been reported by many to be slightly slow, definitely slower than, say, the iPhone in responsiveness.
Sony Touch Screen- The Sony has a touch screen (hence the name!). Page turning is done by swiping the finger across the screen, whereas page turning is by the push of a button for the Nook and Kindle 2. The Nook's color screen doubles as a touch screen, but again, only on the navigation screen, not the display screen.
Memory For the Devices- The Nook and Kindle 2 both have a default memory of 2 GB of memory. This allows up to 1,500 books to be added to the device. The Sony has 512 MB of memory that allows up to 350 books.
International Capabilities- The Kindle 2 is the only device that provides International service with 3G and wireless downloads of books and publications. Amazon says the Kindle 2 will work in over 100 countries.
Lending Feature for the Nook- The Nook allows you to lend out books for 14 days to others that have the Nook, or Nook compatible device.
The Bottom Line- There are numerous differences in these 3 most popular ebook reader devices. We are in a stage right now where each device is trying to differentiate itself with different features. They will definitely start stepping more in-line with each other as time goes on.
For instance, as the EPUB file becomes more popular with public libraries across the nation and world, each ebook reader will support the use of these no doubt.
And the Winner Is?
Popular consensus among critics and customers alike is that the Amazon Kindle 2 is the winner for now. Other flashy features can't out weigh the standard features that come with the Kindle 2 and the International Compatibility.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
What Is The Kindle
Everyone loves to read books, magazines, newspapers in their spare time and more importantly, these stuffs are the common hobbies between each and everyone living in this world, with that in mind, A new revolutionary product is created which is changing the world known as " Amazon Kindle ", This amazing device is portable and with it's portability it is really compact and one can take this machine to anywhere and everywhere.
Amazon Kindle is a portable ebook, magazines and newspapers reader, a device which will never fail to impress you and you won't be getting bored of it as usually others do get bored by reading books for a long time and they feel really stress then, but with Amazon Kindle you will be amazed and most importantly, you will actually find this portable ebook reader really special as it consists over 200 book titles.
Some of it's important key features are:
* Electronic-Paper display which provides sharp and high-resolution display.
* Buy a book and it will be delivered in just one minute.
* Very easy to use, no need of attaching wires, cables and etc.
* Long-Lasting battery life, usually recharges with-in 2 hours.
* You're able to e-mail your word documents and images.
* Free book samples also available, you can download first chapters and read it for free.
* Comes with WI-FI capability.
And the list moves on and on ...
Amazon Kindle is a jam-packed portable ebook reader device which have more than 110,000 books available. With it's amazing features, excellent stand-by time and friendly user-interface, this product is changing the life-style of everyone.
Furthermore, it has a very unique ergonomic design with a very easy to use special keyboard and this product makes you search almost any book very easily, just type in a word or phrase which you are looking for and you will instantly receive the results. You even have wireless access to Wikipedia, the most up-to-date encyclopedia on the whole internet.
Amazon Kindle is a portable ebook, magazines and newspapers reader, a device which will never fail to impress you and you won't be getting bored of it as usually others do get bored by reading books for a long time and they feel really stress then, but with Amazon Kindle you will be amazed and most importantly, you will actually find this portable ebook reader really special as it consists over 200 book titles.
Some of it's important key features are:
* Electronic-Paper display which provides sharp and high-resolution display.
* Buy a book and it will be delivered in just one minute.
* Very easy to use, no need of attaching wires, cables and etc.
* Long-Lasting battery life, usually recharges with-in 2 hours.
* You're able to e-mail your word documents and images.
* Free book samples also available, you can download first chapters and read it for free.
* Comes with WI-FI capability.
And the list moves on and on ...
Amazon Kindle is a jam-packed portable ebook reader device which have more than 110,000 books available. With it's amazing features, excellent stand-by time and friendly user-interface, this product is changing the life-style of everyone.
Furthermore, it has a very unique ergonomic design with a very easy to use special keyboard and this product makes you search almost any book very easily, just type in a word or phrase which you are looking for and you will instantly receive the results. You even have wireless access to Wikipedia, the most up-to-date encyclopedia on the whole internet.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Make Web Pages Print Properly
Make Web Pages Print Properly
Rick Broida
Dec 23, 2009 7:44 am
Shrink to Fit: Click to view larger imageA few days ago, the missus shoved some sheets of paper in my face and demanded, "Why are Web pages printing big all of a sudden?"
Sure enough, all the print on all the pages was comically oversize--and largely useless, as much of the actual Web page was cut off on the right side.
Not good. My wife frequently prints recipes, and all this enlarged output was threatening our culinary happiness.
So I fired up Firefox (her browser of choice), loaded up a recipe page, and clicked File, Print Preview. Basically, I wanted to see if the preview matched the actual output. Sure enough, it did, and here's why: The Scale setting had somehow gotten bumped to 150%.
I changed it back to the almost-always-preferable setting Shrink to Fit, and presto: Normal print size restored.
There's a very similar setting in Internet Explorer, so if you're encountering weirdly sized text on your printed Web pages, make sure your "scales" are set properly.
Rick Broida
Dec 23, 2009 7:44 am
Shrink to Fit: Click to view larger imageA few days ago, the missus shoved some sheets of paper in my face and demanded, "Why are Web pages printing big all of a sudden?"
Sure enough, all the print on all the pages was comically oversize--and largely useless, as much of the actual Web page was cut off on the right side.
Not good. My wife frequently prints recipes, and all this enlarged output was threatening our culinary happiness.
So I fired up Firefox (her browser of choice), loaded up a recipe page, and clicked File, Print Preview. Basically, I wanted to see if the preview matched the actual output. Sure enough, it did, and here's why: The Scale setting had somehow gotten bumped to 150%.
I changed it back to the almost-always-preferable setting Shrink to Fit, and presto: Normal print size restored.
There's a very similar setting in Internet Explorer, so if you're encountering weirdly sized text on your printed Web pages, make sure your "scales" are set properly.
Ten Printer Problems and Solutions
Jeff Bertolucci, PC World
Friday, December 18, 2009 03:06 PM PST
Printers: Can't live with them, can't nuke them. You could always toss a misbehaving inkjet or laser out the window, but where would that leave you? Truth be told, we need our printers, despite their maddening quirks. Here's a saner idea: Take a deep breath, channel your inner tech support rep, and repair that which has failed you. (Cue sitar.)
We've listed the 10 biggest printer annoyances -- of course, your Top 10 list may vary -- and ways to fix them.
Problem: Printing is too slow.
Solution: Rev up printer performance--and save ink in the process--by reducing print quality for everyday output. While printer settings vary by model, here's how to switch to draft-printing mode in most Windows apps. Select Print and Properties, and then look for a setting that reduces print quality. With the HP Photosmart 8450, for instance, change the default print quality setting from Normal to Fast Draft (click screen-shot at right). Other speedup suggestions: Print pages from websites without graphics, and add RAM to your printer, if possible. Read "Speed Up Everything" for more tips.
Problem: Ink and/or toner costs too much.
Solution: PC World has written a lot about the printing industry's sneaky practices over the years. To wit: They snare you with dirt-cheap printers sold at or below cost, and then stick it to you later with ultra-pricey consumables.
Based on our tests, we can't recommend third party vendors' remanufactured or refilled ink cartridges, which may not give you your money's worth. One cost-saving solution is to buy higher-capacity cartridges. If you print a lot, try an ink cartridge with a 250-plus page yield, or a toner cartridge with a 2,000-plus page yield.
Problem: Windows is sending print jobs to the wrong printer.
Solution: For some mysterious reason, Windows may select a new default printer--the one it automatically sends print jobs to. (This happened to me when I upgraded from Vista to Windows 7.) To fix this glitch in Windows 7, click Start (the Windows icon in the lower-left corner of the screen) and select Devices and Printers. Under Printers and Faxes, right-click the printer you want to make the default, and select Set as default printer.
If you're using earlier versions of Windows, these steps vary a bit. Here are instructions for Windows XP and Vista users.
Problem: My prints are too light, too spotty, or have horizontal lines.
Solution: You may have a clogged print head, a problem that can occur if you use an inkjet printer infrequently. Your printer's utility program can clean out the dried ink, and print a test page for inspection. The step-by-step instructions on how to do this vary by printer. From the Windows 7 Start menu, click Devices and Printers or Control Panel, and look for your printer's utility app. For additional details, read "Solve Inkjet Printer Problems." For more tips on unclogging ink nozzles, go here. (Again, these steps may vary slightly for Vista and XP users.)
Problem: My printer says my ink cartridge is empty. I think it's lying.
Solution: You may be right. Printer out-of-ink messages are notoriously unreliable. The good news: You can try various hacks to get around those ink cartridge controls. We're not suggesting that all, or even some, of these reader tips will work with your printer, but they're worth a try. One tip reveals how to reset ink cartridges for various HP printers. And a video on this page shows how to revive an "out of ink" Epson cartridge. If you're feeling adventurous, check them out.
Problem: My wireless printer is too slow.
Solution: To get the best performance from a network printer, it's hard to beat a wired, Ethernet-cable-to-router connection. Wireless printing may be more convenient in many homes and offices, but it has its limitations. Since Wi-Fi speeds slow down with distance, you'll want to place your wireless printer as close as possible to the router. Also, make sure your Wi-Fi printer or any wireless print server it connects to supports the 802.11n spec, which can rival the performance of 100-mbps Ethernet.
Problem: I use remanufactured or refilled ink cartridges, and my prints look awful.
Solution: We recommend sticking with the manufacturer's ink. Third-party products may save you money up front, but the consequences can get ugly--literally--if the cheaper inks produce lower-quality prints.
Here's another reason: wasted ink. The PC World Test Center has found that some cartridges leave more than 40 percent of their ink unused. The worst offenders, unfortunately, are third-party brands. Printer manufacturers may overcharge shamelessly for ink, but at least you know what you're getting.
Problem: I don't know how to fit more text on one page. How do I do it?
Solution: Shrinking text to fit two pages on one sheet saves money (you'll buy less paper) and speeds up printing (fewer pages to print). This two-for-one approach is best for spreadsheets, receipts, and other documents that are still legible once shrunken.
In any Windows program, select Print and Properties, and then look for a printer setting that lets you increase the number of pages per sheet.
Problem: Grandma called and wants me to fix her "broken" printer. I'm no tech guru. What should I do?
Solution: You could always pretend you're not home, but that might lead to bigger problems down the line. We recommend you help Grandma out, because printer problems encountered by the, um, technically challenged are often easy to fix.
First, have her see if the printer is plugged into a wall outlet. (Don't laugh. It's fairly common.) Second, she should make sure there's paper in the tray. And third, have her check the cable (probably USB or Ethernet) that connects the printer to the PC or router. This troubleshooting basics article has more advice.
Problem: My paper tray is flimsy.
Solution: To cut costs on some printers, vendors often include low-capacity or flimsy trays. In her article "Is Your Printer Stealing From You?", PC World's Melissa Riofrio lists seven printers with notoriously cheap paper trays--each from major vendors such as Brother, Dell, Epson, HP, Ricoh, and Xerox. Shame on you guys.
So what can you do? Before buying a printer, examine the paper tray carefully. If it looks like it'll break after the first sideswipe, it's probably wise to get another model. If the tray is too small for your printing needs, see if there's a higher-capacity option. Or you could try this guy's approach to fixing a busted printer.
1998-2009, PC World Communications, Inc.
Friday, December 18, 2009 03:06 PM PST
Printers: Can't live with them, can't nuke them. You could always toss a misbehaving inkjet or laser out the window, but where would that leave you? Truth be told, we need our printers, despite their maddening quirks. Here's a saner idea: Take a deep breath, channel your inner tech support rep, and repair that which has failed you. (Cue sitar.)
We've listed the 10 biggest printer annoyances -- of course, your Top 10 list may vary -- and ways to fix them.
Problem: Printing is too slow.
Solution: Rev up printer performance--and save ink in the process--by reducing print quality for everyday output. While printer settings vary by model, here's how to switch to draft-printing mode in most Windows apps. Select Print and Properties, and then look for a setting that reduces print quality. With the HP Photosmart 8450, for instance, change the default print quality setting from Normal to Fast Draft (click screen-shot at right). Other speedup suggestions: Print pages from websites without graphics, and add RAM to your printer, if possible. Read "Speed Up Everything" for more tips.
Problem: Ink and/or toner costs too much.
Solution: PC World has written a lot about the printing industry's sneaky practices over the years. To wit: They snare you with dirt-cheap printers sold at or below cost, and then stick it to you later with ultra-pricey consumables.
Based on our tests, we can't recommend third party vendors' remanufactured or refilled ink cartridges, which may not give you your money's worth. One cost-saving solution is to buy higher-capacity cartridges. If you print a lot, try an ink cartridge with a 250-plus page yield, or a toner cartridge with a 2,000-plus page yield.
Problem: Windows is sending print jobs to the wrong printer.
Solution: For some mysterious reason, Windows may select a new default printer--the one it automatically sends print jobs to. (This happened to me when I upgraded from Vista to Windows 7.) To fix this glitch in Windows 7, click Start (the Windows icon in the lower-left corner of the screen) and select Devices and Printers. Under Printers and Faxes, right-click the printer you want to make the default, and select Set as default printer.
If you're using earlier versions of Windows, these steps vary a bit. Here are instructions for Windows XP and Vista users.
Problem: My prints are too light, too spotty, or have horizontal lines.
Solution: You may have a clogged print head, a problem that can occur if you use an inkjet printer infrequently. Your printer's utility program can clean out the dried ink, and print a test page for inspection. The step-by-step instructions on how to do this vary by printer. From the Windows 7 Start menu, click Devices and Printers or Control Panel, and look for your printer's utility app. For additional details, read "Solve Inkjet Printer Problems." For more tips on unclogging ink nozzles, go here. (Again, these steps may vary slightly for Vista and XP users.)
Problem: My printer says my ink cartridge is empty. I think it's lying.
Solution: You may be right. Printer out-of-ink messages are notoriously unreliable. The good news: You can try various hacks to get around those ink cartridge controls. We're not suggesting that all, or even some, of these reader tips will work with your printer, but they're worth a try. One tip reveals how to reset ink cartridges for various HP printers. And a video on this page shows how to revive an "out of ink" Epson cartridge. If you're feeling adventurous, check them out.
Problem: My wireless printer is too slow.
Solution: To get the best performance from a network printer, it's hard to beat a wired, Ethernet-cable-to-router connection. Wireless printing may be more convenient in many homes and offices, but it has its limitations. Since Wi-Fi speeds slow down with distance, you'll want to place your wireless printer as close as possible to the router. Also, make sure your Wi-Fi printer or any wireless print server it connects to supports the 802.11n spec, which can rival the performance of 100-mbps Ethernet.
Problem: I use remanufactured or refilled ink cartridges, and my prints look awful.
Solution: We recommend sticking with the manufacturer's ink. Third-party products may save you money up front, but the consequences can get ugly--literally--if the cheaper inks produce lower-quality prints.
Here's another reason: wasted ink. The PC World Test Center has found that some cartridges leave more than 40 percent of their ink unused. The worst offenders, unfortunately, are third-party brands. Printer manufacturers may overcharge shamelessly for ink, but at least you know what you're getting.
Problem: I don't know how to fit more text on one page. How do I do it?
Solution: Shrinking text to fit two pages on one sheet saves money (you'll buy less paper) and speeds up printing (fewer pages to print). This two-for-one approach is best for spreadsheets, receipts, and other documents that are still legible once shrunken.
In any Windows program, select Print and Properties, and then look for a printer setting that lets you increase the number of pages per sheet.
Problem: Grandma called and wants me to fix her "broken" printer. I'm no tech guru. What should I do?
Solution: You could always pretend you're not home, but that might lead to bigger problems down the line. We recommend you help Grandma out, because printer problems encountered by the, um, technically challenged are often easy to fix.
First, have her see if the printer is plugged into a wall outlet. (Don't laugh. It's fairly common.) Second, she should make sure there's paper in the tray. And third, have her check the cable (probably USB or Ethernet) that connects the printer to the PC or router. This troubleshooting basics article has more advice.
Problem: My paper tray is flimsy.
Solution: To cut costs on some printers, vendors often include low-capacity or flimsy trays. In her article "Is Your Printer Stealing From You?", PC World's Melissa Riofrio lists seven printers with notoriously cheap paper trays--each from major vendors such as Brother, Dell, Epson, HP, Ricoh, and Xerox. Shame on you guys.
So what can you do? Before buying a printer, examine the paper tray carefully. If it looks like it'll break after the first sideswipe, it's probably wise to get another model. If the tray is too small for your printing needs, see if there's a higher-capacity option. Or you could try this guy's approach to fixing a busted printer.
1998-2009, PC World Communications, Inc.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Chicago Tribune Printers Row Favorite Fiction 2009
Favorite Fiction 2009 from Chicago Tribune Printers Row
The Believers by Zoe Heller. "From the author of What Was She Thinking: Notes on a Scandal comes this wry tale of a rather unlikeable family of Manhattan liberals for whom things go greatly amiss when their patriarch falls into a coma."
Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips. "Years after their father disappears in the Korean War, a young woman and her disabled brother scramble to make their way in a hard world. Phillips, whose prose is sumptuous, gracefully weaves together the father's desperate last moments with his children's present struggles."
Homer and Langley: A Novel by E.L.Doctorow. "In 1947, the well-healed Collyer brothers made headlines when they were found dead in their trash-heaped Manhattan brownstone."
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. "The lone survivor of a massacre that decimated her mother and sisters grows up and is forced to consider whether her childhood testimony, which landed her brother in prison for life for the brutal crime, was accurate. A deliciously gory thriller with a bang of a climax."
Blame by Michelle Huneven. "Ouch, what a hangover. Following a drunken bender, a young college professor wakes up from her blackout in jail; she has been arrested for running over and killing a mother and daughter."
Big Machine by Victor LaValle. "An African American man formerly addled by heroin ends up in Vermont researching 'the Voice' behind an isolated religious sect. This tale is peculiar, magnificent and-- as books about cults often are--quite funny."
The Vagrants by Yiyun Li. "A riveting debut about the social decay of a small town in China during the Cultural Revolution."
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. "After a nine year hiatus from the world of novels, Kingsolver is back with this beauty that delves into Mexico history. This is perhaps her paramount work yet."
Little Bee by Chris Cleave. "A Nigerian refugee and a fashion editor forge an unlikely bond in this engrossing novel."
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore. "When a small town girl heads to a Midwestern town, she gets more education than she bargained for in this winning coming-of-age novel."
Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers. "In this clever tale, a bitter writing professor in Chicago finds himself drawn happy student who appears to have a euphoric genetic glitch."
Await Your Family by Dan Chaon. "Three lives collide and test the boundaries and definitions of identity. From the author of Among the Missing."
American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell. "A harrowing set of tales set in rural working-class class Michigan, where emotions run as hot as the neighbor's crystal meth cooker."
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin. Pakistani author Mueenuddin links eight character-rich stories of his homeland."
Too Much Happiness: Stories by Alice Munro. "Man Booker International Prize-winner Munro captivates again with richly drawn characters aching for a smooth passage in life."
Remember that all these titles, some in different formats (e.g., CD book, downloadable audiobook) are available at the Fremont Public Library. If the title you wish to read is checked out, staff can place a hold for you--or you can place the hold.
The Believers by Zoe Heller. "From the author of What Was She Thinking: Notes on a Scandal comes this wry tale of a rather unlikeable family of Manhattan liberals for whom things go greatly amiss when their patriarch falls into a coma."
Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips. "Years after their father disappears in the Korean War, a young woman and her disabled brother scramble to make their way in a hard world. Phillips, whose prose is sumptuous, gracefully weaves together the father's desperate last moments with his children's present struggles."
Homer and Langley: A Novel by E.L.Doctorow. "In 1947, the well-healed Collyer brothers made headlines when they were found dead in their trash-heaped Manhattan brownstone."
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. "The lone survivor of a massacre that decimated her mother and sisters grows up and is forced to consider whether her childhood testimony, which landed her brother in prison for life for the brutal crime, was accurate. A deliciously gory thriller with a bang of a climax."
Blame by Michelle Huneven. "Ouch, what a hangover. Following a drunken bender, a young college professor wakes up from her blackout in jail; she has been arrested for running over and killing a mother and daughter."
Big Machine by Victor LaValle. "An African American man formerly addled by heroin ends up in Vermont researching 'the Voice' behind an isolated religious sect. This tale is peculiar, magnificent and-- as books about cults often are--quite funny."
The Vagrants by Yiyun Li. "A riveting debut about the social decay of a small town in China during the Cultural Revolution."
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. "After a nine year hiatus from the world of novels, Kingsolver is back with this beauty that delves into Mexico history. This is perhaps her paramount work yet."
Little Bee by Chris Cleave. "A Nigerian refugee and a fashion editor forge an unlikely bond in this engrossing novel."
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore. "When a small town girl heads to a Midwestern town, she gets more education than she bargained for in this winning coming-of-age novel."
Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers. "In this clever tale, a bitter writing professor in Chicago finds himself drawn happy student who appears to have a euphoric genetic glitch."
Await Your Family by Dan Chaon. "Three lives collide and test the boundaries and definitions of identity. From the author of Among the Missing."
American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell. "A harrowing set of tales set in rural working-class class Michigan, where emotions run as hot as the neighbor's crystal meth cooker."
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin. Pakistani author Mueenuddin links eight character-rich stories of his homeland."
Too Much Happiness: Stories by Alice Munro. "Man Booker International Prize-winner Munro captivates again with richly drawn characters aching for a smooth passage in life."
Remember that all these titles, some in different formats (e.g., CD book, downloadable audiobook) are available at the Fremont Public Library. If the title you wish to read is checked out, staff can place a hold for you--or you can place the hold.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Dorothy Gilman's Mystery's Grand Master 2010
Dorothy Gilman,author of the Mrs. Pollifax series, has been chosen as this year's Grand Master by Mystery Writers of America (MWA). MWA's Grand Master Award represents the highest achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as significant output of consistently high-quality material. Gilman, a New Jersey native, has written and contributed to over 30 books.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Grand Master Award Given Joe Haldeman
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America will award author Joe Haldeman its Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master for 2010. The award "recognizes excellence for a lifetime of contributions to the genres of science fiction and fantasy."
Haldeman is the author of 20 novels and five collections. The Forever War won the Nebula, Hugo and Ditmar Awards for best science fiction novel in 1975. Other notable titles include Camouflage, The Accidental Time Machine and Marsbound as well as the short works "Graves," "Tricentennial" and "The Hemingway Hoax." Starbound is scheduled for a January release. Haldeman officially receives the award at the Nebula Awards Weekend in May in Hollywood, Fla.
Haldeman is the author of 20 novels and five collections. The Forever War won the Nebula, Hugo and Ditmar Awards for best science fiction novel in 1975. Other notable titles include Camouflage, The Accidental Time Machine and Marsbound as well as the short works "Graves," "Tricentennial" and "The Hemingway Hoax." Starbound is scheduled for a January release. Haldeman officially receives the award at the Nebula Awards Weekend in May in Hollywood, Fla.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
New York Times 10 Best Books of 2009
At the end of the year, it's always a joy to see the best book lists, especially to see if you agree with them. Books are a wonderful gift, and it's fun to find the book you want to give to a friend and relative. From today's New York Times, here is a list of its editors' top 10 books of 2009. The Fremont Public Library has all the books except one which currently is on order. You may place the titles on hold, or call us. We are happy to place your selections on hold for you. Remember,too, that the library also has the New York Times on its shelves.
Fiction
Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Melody. F Melody
"In an exceptionally strong year for short fiction, Meloy's concise yet fine-grained narratives....shout out with quiet restraint and calm precision...."
Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem, F Lethem
Lethem's eighth novel unfolds in an alternative-reality Manhattan. The crowded canvas includes a wantonly destructive escaped tiger....prowling the streets...."
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore F Moore, Book CD Moore
"Moore's captivating novel....is set in 2001 and narrated by a Wisconsin college student who hungers for worldly experience and finds it when she takes a job baby sitting for a bohemian couple who are trying to adopt a mixed raced child...."
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls F Walls, Lg Print F Walls
"In her luminous memoir, The Glass Castle, Walls told of being raised by eccentric and unfit parents. Now, in a novel based on family lore, she has adopted the voice of her maternal grandmother, Lily Casey Smith--mustang breaker, schoolteacher, ranch wife, bootlegger, poker player, racehorse rider and bush pilot...."
A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert F Walbert, Lg Print F Walbert
"The 15 lean, concentrated chapters in this exquisitely written novel alternate among the lives of a British suffragist and a handful of her Anglo-American descendants. The theme is feminism, but Walbert is keenly alert to male preoccupations and the impressions they leave on the lives of her female cast...."
NonFiction
The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes, 509 HOL
"Holmes harnesses the twin energies of scientific curiosity and poetic invention in this superb intellectual history, which recreates a glorious period, some 200 years ago, when figures like William Herschel, Humphry Davy, and Joseph Banks brought 'a new imaginative intensity and excitement to scientific work,'and literary giants like Coleridge and Keats responded giddily to these breakthroughs...."
The Good Soldiers by David Finkel 956.704434 FIN
"Finkel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and editor at the Washington Post, gives full voice to his subjects, infantry soldiers from Fort Riley, KS...posted in the lethal reaches of Baghdad at the height of the 'surge'...."
Lit by Mary Karr B Karr
"This sequel to The Liars Club and Cherry is also a master class on the art of the memoir...."
Lords of Finance by Liaquat Ahamed 332.1092 AHA, Downloadable Audiobook
"The parallels with our own moment are impossible to miss in Ahamed's narrative about 4 members of the 'most exclusive club in the world', central bankers who dominated global finance in the post World War I era...."
Raymond Carver by Carol Sklenicka, on order
"Ten years in the making, this prodigiously researched and meticulous biography sympathetically and adroitly integrates its subject's work with the turbulent life--marred by alcoholism, financial turmoil and family discord--that brought it into being...."
The library staff offers their suggestions on the libray website, the Book Advisor.
It is updated monthly.
Fiction
Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Melody. F Melody
"In an exceptionally strong year for short fiction, Meloy's concise yet fine-grained narratives....shout out with quiet restraint and calm precision...."
Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem, F Lethem
Lethem's eighth novel unfolds in an alternative-reality Manhattan. The crowded canvas includes a wantonly destructive escaped tiger....prowling the streets...."
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore F Moore, Book CD Moore
"Moore's captivating novel....is set in 2001 and narrated by a Wisconsin college student who hungers for worldly experience and finds it when she takes a job baby sitting for a bohemian couple who are trying to adopt a mixed raced child...."
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls F Walls, Lg Print F Walls
"In her luminous memoir, The Glass Castle, Walls told of being raised by eccentric and unfit parents. Now, in a novel based on family lore, she has adopted the voice of her maternal grandmother, Lily Casey Smith--mustang breaker, schoolteacher, ranch wife, bootlegger, poker player, racehorse rider and bush pilot...."
A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert F Walbert, Lg Print F Walbert
"The 15 lean, concentrated chapters in this exquisitely written novel alternate among the lives of a British suffragist and a handful of her Anglo-American descendants. The theme is feminism, but Walbert is keenly alert to male preoccupations and the impressions they leave on the lives of her female cast...."
NonFiction
The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes, 509 HOL
"Holmes harnesses the twin energies of scientific curiosity and poetic invention in this superb intellectual history, which recreates a glorious period, some 200 years ago, when figures like William Herschel, Humphry Davy, and Joseph Banks brought 'a new imaginative intensity and excitement to scientific work,'and literary giants like Coleridge and Keats responded giddily to these breakthroughs...."
The Good Soldiers by David Finkel 956.704434 FIN
"Finkel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and editor at the Washington Post, gives full voice to his subjects, infantry soldiers from Fort Riley, KS...posted in the lethal reaches of Baghdad at the height of the 'surge'...."
Lit by Mary Karr B Karr
"This sequel to The Liars Club and Cherry is also a master class on the art of the memoir...."
Lords of Finance by Liaquat Ahamed 332.1092 AHA, Downloadable Audiobook
"The parallels with our own moment are impossible to miss in Ahamed's narrative about 4 members of the 'most exclusive club in the world', central bankers who dominated global finance in the post World War I era...."
Raymond Carver by Carol Sklenicka, on order
"Ten years in the making, this prodigiously researched and meticulous biography sympathetically and adroitly integrates its subject's work with the turbulent life--marred by alcoholism, financial turmoil and family discord--that brought it into being...."
The library staff offers their suggestions on the libray website, the Book Advisor.
It is updated monthly.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Film Lovely Bones Opens
The film Lovely Bones based on the best selling novel by Alice Sebold opens this weekend. Peter Jackson, who directed the popular film Lord of the Rings,is the director.
Filmed in New Zealand,Lovely Bones stars Saoirse Ronan as the narrator Susie along with Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as her parents.
Filmed in New Zealand,Lovely Bones stars Saoirse Ronan as the narrator Susie along with Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as her parents.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Author Wally Lamb at Stevenson High School
Best Selling author Wally Lamb will be at Stevenson High School on Wednesday December 2 from 7-9 pm. His most recent book is Wishin' and Hopin'. Lamb's three previous novels are The Hour I First Believed, She’s Come Undone,and I Know This Much Is True. The Vernon Area Public Library is sponsoring Lamb's visit. You may register at www.vapld.info,in person, or by calling 847-634-3650.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
2009 National Book Awards
The winners are:
Fiction: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Nonfiction: The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles
Young People's Literature: Caludette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose
Poetry: Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy by Keith Waldrop
Gore Vidal was honored with the award for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, Letters, and Dave Eggers received the 2009 Literarian Award for Oustanding Service to the American Literary Community.
Fiction: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Nonfiction: The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles
Young People's Literature: Caludette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose
Poetry: Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy by Keith Waldrop
Gore Vidal was honored with the award for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, Letters, and Dave Eggers received the 2009 Literarian Award for Oustanding Service to the American Literary Community.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
New Book on Mundelein
Mundelein resident Shawn Killackey has written Mundelein which is part of Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series. Killackey will have a book signing at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at Westfield Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills from 6 to 8 pm on Friday, November 20. He served on Mundelein's Centennial Committee. Seeing that Arcadia's series did not include a book on Mundelein, Killackey contacted the publisher, suggesting that he write one. His book contains many historical photographs showing the development of the village.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Mystery Author J A Jance In Chicago Next Month
Mystery author J.A. Jance will be in Chicago next month. Jance will be at the Morton Grove Public Library on Saturday, December 5, beginning at 2:00 p.m. The library is located at 6140 Lincoln Avenue. Seating is limited; registration is required. Call 847-929-5101 or register online Jance is promoting her new book Trial by Fire. The book will be released December 1; it is the latest in Jance's Ali Reynolds series. Jance also writes the J.P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, and the Walker series. Jance also will be signing books at the Border's in Oak Brook, at 7 pm the evening of December 5.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Film The Box Based on a Richard Matheson short story opens
The Box, a thriller based on a short story by Richard Matheson, opens today Friday November 6th. In The Box, a mysterious man (played by Frank Langella) presents a wooden box with a button to a couple (Cameron Diaz, James Marsden) which, when pressed, does two things: the couple will receive $1 million and someone, somewhere in the world will be killed. The couple has 24 hours to decide whether or not to push the button. Button, Button was first published in Playboy in 1970, and later adapted as an episode for the television series The Twilight Zone in 1986.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
2009 World Fantasy Awards
Winners of the 2009 World Fantasy Awards:
Life Achievement: Ellen Asher and Jane Yolen
Novel: The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford and Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
Novella: "If Angels Fight" by Richard Bowes
Short Story: "26 Monkeys, also the Abyss" by Kij Johnson
Anthology: Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy, edited by Ekaterina Sedia
Collection: The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford
Artist: Shaun Tan
Life Achievement: Ellen Asher and Jane Yolen
Novel: The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford and Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
Novella: "If Angels Fight" by Richard Bowes
Short Story: "26 Monkeys, also the Abyss" by Kij Johnson
Anthology: Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy, edited by Ekaterina Sedia
Collection: The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford
Artist: Shaun Tan
Saturday, October 24, 2009
2009 Anthony Awards
The winners of the 2009 Anthony Awards are:
Best novel: The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
Best first novel: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Best paperback original: State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy
Best short story: "A Sleep Not Unlike Death" by Sean Chercover
Best critical nonfiction work: Anthony Boucher: A Biobibliography by Jeffrey Marks
Best cover art: The Girl with the Drago Tattoo designed by Peter Mendelsund
Best novel: The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
Best first novel: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Best paperback original: State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy
Best short story: "A Sleep Not Unlike Death" by Sean Chercover
Best critical nonfiction work: Anthony Boucher: A Biobibliography by Jeffrey Marks
Best cover art: The Girl with the Drago Tattoo designed by Peter Mendelsund
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Chicago Tribune's Printers Row
The books section of the Tribune has been recreated as Printers' Row. There is an online blog version, Printers' Row, on the Chicago Tribune website. It's great, too, for its listing of local literary events. Twitter fans can find it at ChiTribBooks.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Author Kate Jacobs at Warren Newport Public Library November 7
Kate Jacobs is the author of the bestsellers The Friday Night Knitting Club, Knit Two, and Comfort Food. With more than one million copies in print, and a movie starring and produced by actress (and knitter) Julia Roberts in the works, The Friday Night Knitting Club has become a phenomenon. Now, in her new book Knit The Season, her fans are invited to spend the holidays with the Friday night knitting club at the cozy Walker & Daughter yarn shop on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
Kate Jacobs will be at the Warren Newport Public Library in Gurnee, Illinois on Saturday, November 7 at 2:00pm. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
This is a free program, please call 847/244-5150 (press 7) to register.
Kate Jacobs will be at the Warren Newport Public Library in Gurnee, Illinois on Saturday, November 7 at 2:00pm. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
This is a free program, please call 847/244-5150 (press 7) to register.
Monday, October 19, 2009
2009 Shamus Awards
The Private Eye Writers of America give out Shamus Awards yearly to honor excellent work in books featuring private eyes. And the winners are (series private eye in parentheses):
◊ Best PI Hardcover: Empty Ever After by Reed Farrel Coleman (Moe Prager)
◊ Best First PI Novel: In the Heat by Ian Vasquez (Miles Young)
◊ Best PI Paperback Original: Snow Blind by Lori Armstrong (Julie Collins)
◊ Best Short Story: "Family Values" by Mitch Alderman (Bubba Simms)
◊ Hammer Award for Character Longevity: Lawrence Block (Matthew Scudder)
◊ Best PI Hardcover: Empty Ever After by Reed Farrel Coleman (Moe Prager)
◊ Best First PI Novel: In the Heat by Ian Vasquez (Miles Young)
◊ Best PI Paperback Original: Snow Blind by Lori Armstrong (Julie Collins)
◊ Best Short Story: "Family Values" by Mitch Alderman (Bubba Simms)
◊ Hammer Award for Character Longevity: Lawrence Block (Matthew Scudder)
Friday, October 16, 2009
National Book Award Finalists
The National Book Foundation has named the 2009 National Book Award finalists:
Fiction:
American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin
Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips
Far North by Marcel Theroux
Nonfiction:
Following the Water by David M. Carroll
Remarkable Creatures by Sean B. Carroll
Fordlandia by Greg Grandin
The Poison King by Adrienne Mayor
The First Tycoon by T. J. Stiles
Poetry
Versed by Rae Armantrout
Or to Begin Again by Ann Lauterbach
Speak Low by Carl Phillips
Open Interval by Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon
Transcendental Studies by Keith Waldrop
The winners will be announced on November 18. Gore Vidal will be honored with the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and David Eggers will receive the Literarian Award for Outstanding Contribution to the American Literary Community.
Fiction:
American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin
Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips
Far North by Marcel Theroux
Nonfiction:
Following the Water by David M. Carroll
Remarkable Creatures by Sean B. Carroll
Fordlandia by Greg Grandin
The Poison King by Adrienne Mayor
The First Tycoon by T. J. Stiles
Poetry
Versed by Rae Armantrout
Or to Begin Again by Ann Lauterbach
Speak Low by Carl Phillips
Open Interval by Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon
Transcendental Studies by Keith Waldrop
The winners will be announced on November 18. Gore Vidal will be honored with the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and David Eggers will receive the Literarian Award for Outstanding Contribution to the American Literary Community.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
German Writer Muller Nobel Prize Winner
Herta Muller has won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy described Muller as a writer "who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossed." Muller emigrated to Germany in 1987 after years of censorship in her native Romania. She has written 20 books, but only 5 have been translated into English, including The Land of Green Plums and The Appointment.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Chicago Mystery Writer Stuart M. Kaminsky Dies at 75
Stuart M. Kaminsky, the author of more than 60 crime novels, died last Friday. He created several series characters: Toby Peters, a private eye in the 1930s and 40s;
Chicago cop Abe Lieberman; Lew Fonseca, a Seattle process server; and Moscow police detective Porfiry Rostnikov. Kaminsky typically wrote 2 or more books a year. In 2006, the Mystery Writers of America named him a Grand Master, the organization's highest award. Kaminsky taught film at the Northwestern University and Florida Sate University. He also wrote books about cinema,including American Film Genres: Approaches to a Critical Theory of Popular Film , Basic Filmmaking, , and John Huston, Maker of Magic. Kaminsky also wrote screenplays. Besides being one of America's most revered mystery writers, Kaminsky inspired many other writers in the genre, including fellow Chicagoan Sara Paretsky, who dedicated the first novel in her V. I. Warshawski private-eye series to Kaminsky.
Chicago cop Abe Lieberman; Lew Fonseca, a Seattle process server; and Moscow police detective Porfiry Rostnikov. Kaminsky typically wrote 2 or more books a year. In 2006, the Mystery Writers of America named him a Grand Master, the organization's highest award. Kaminsky taught film at the Northwestern University and Florida Sate University. He also wrote books about cinema,including American Film Genres: Approaches to a Critical Theory of Popular Film , Basic Filmmaking, , and John Huston, Maker of Magic. Kaminsky also wrote screenplays. Besides being one of America's most revered mystery writers, Kaminsky inspired many other writers in the genre, including fellow Chicagoan Sara Paretsky, who dedicated the first novel in her V. I. Warshawski private-eye series to Kaminsky.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Elmore Leonard to receive PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award
PEN USA has selected crime novelist Elmore Leonard to receive the organization's lifetime achievement award at a December ceremony. In announcing its selection, the organization stated "In a career spanning 60 years, Leonard has published 43 novels and numerous short stories, creating a distinct literary style that has delighted readers and influenced a new generation of writers. Books like Swag, LaBrava, Freaky Deaky, and Tishomingo Blues are not only classics of the crime genre, but some of the best writing of the last half century. Leonard’s most recent novel, Road Dogs, has received some of the best reviews of his career. He is currently finishing his next book, entitled Djibouti, to be published in 2010."
PEN USA's membership of more than 800 writers includes poets, playwrights, essayists, novelists as well as television and screenwriters, critics, historians, editors, journalists, and translators
PEN USA's membership of more than 800 writers includes poets, playwrights, essayists, novelists as well as television and screenwriters, critics, historians, editors, journalists, and translators
Thursday, October 1, 2009
National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month begins November 1. The goal is to write a 175 page or50,000 word, novel by midnight, November 30. You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. In 2008, there were over 120,000 participants. More than 20,000 finished their work by the deadline. From the website: "Because of the limited writing winow, the only thing that matters to NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly." For more information, see http://www.nanowrimo.org
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Poet & Punk Rocker Jim Carroll Dead
Poet and rocker Jim Carroll died Friday. He is best known for his book The Basketball Diaries, an autobiographical tale of his life as a star athlete at Trinity, an elite private high school in Manhattan. Carroll, the son of a bar owner, attended Trinity on a scholarship. The Basketball Diaries, which began life as a journal, was first published in 1978. A 1995 movie version starred Leonardo DiCaprio. Carroll also published several poetry collections, including The Book of Nods(1986),Fear of Dreaming(1993) and Poems 1994-1997(1998). The singer Patti Smith encouraged him to break into music, and he formed the Jim Carroll Band. His 1980 album, Catholic Boy, is described as a landmark punk record. One of its songs, People Who Died. is Carroll's best known musical work. Among his other albums were the less successful Dry Dreams (1982) and I Write Your Name(1984).
Friday, September 18, 2009
Oprah's New Pick
Today Oprah Winfrey announced her new pick: Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan. The book is a collection of short stories originally published in the New Yorker. The book won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book 2009 and PEN/Beyond Margins Award 2009. Nigerian born Akpan studied philosophy and English at Creighton and Gonzaga universities. He studied theology at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He was ordained a Jesuit priest in 2003 and received a Masters in Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Michigan in 2006. He now is assigned at Christ the King Church, Ilasamaja-Lagos, Nigeria.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Mystery Writer Lyn Hamilton Dead of Cancer
Lyn Hamilton, the author of the Lara McClintcoch archaeological mysteries, has died of cancer. Hamilton started this series when she was 50. Lara McClintoch is a Toronto antiques dealer who solves murders while traveling the world. Hamilton was twice nominated for an Arthus Ellis Award, for her debut mystery The Xibalba Murders and for the eighth book in her series, The Magyar Venus. The fourth book in the series, The Celtic Riddle, was the basis for a 2003 Murder, She Wrote movie starring Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher.
In 2008, Hamilton wrote on her website that The Chinese Alchemist would be the final book in her archaeological series. She added that "my plans are to retire from the mystery business, although I reserve the right to change my mind. Last fall, I had the pleasure of teaching mystery and suspense writing at the University of Toronto's School for Continuing Studies' Creative Writing Program. Lara, I believe, is renovating a casita in a little town north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. So far not a single body has been uncovered."
In 2008, Hamilton wrote on her website that The Chinese Alchemist would be the final book in her archaeological series. She added that "my plans are to retire from the mystery business, although I reserve the right to change my mind. Last fall, I had the pleasure of teaching mystery and suspense writing at the University of Toronto's School for Continuing Studies' Creative Writing Program. Lara, I believe, is renovating a casita in a little town north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. So far not a single body has been uncovered."
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Film Disgrace Opens Friday, September 18
Disgrace, based on the book by Nobel Prize Winner J. M. Coetzee, opens this Friday, September 18. Disgrace is the first novel to explore post apartheid South Africa. The novel won the Booker Prize in 1999 and the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 2000. Many consider it a contemporary classic. The film is directed by Steve Jacobs and stars John Malkovich as a South African professor who is fired after seducing a student. Daniel Davies in The Lancet acclaimed the book "Disgrace offers an apocalyptic vision of contemporary South Africa....What transforms Disgrace from a good compelling book into a work of brilliance is its allegorical reach." The screenplay was subject to Coetzee's approval, and he has praised the film for "integrating the story into the grand landscape of South Africa."
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Film based on Rucka's Graphic Novel opens Friday
WhiteOut, an action thriller based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, opens this Friday, September 11, 2009. The film stars Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Columbus Short, and Tom Skerritt. From publicity: "Antarctica … The most isolated landmass on Earth. 90° S. latitude, 0° E. longitude. Six million square miles of ice. Six months of darkness. Temperatures at -120°. Winds at 100 miles per hour. Nature never intended you to survive here. For U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko, things are about to get even more dangerous. The only law enforcement in this unforgiving territory, she has just been sent to investigate a body on the ice. Antarctica’s first homicide. A shocking discovery in itself, it will plunge her into an even more bizarre mystery and the revelation of secrets long-buried under the endless ice … secrets that someone believes are still worth killing for."
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
2009 Great Lakes Book Awards
Winners of the 2009 Great Lakes Book Awards are:
Fiction: The Great Perhaps by Joe Meno
General: The Foie Gras Wars by Mark Caro
Children's Chapter Book: The Blind Faith Hotel by Pamela Todd
Children's Picture Book: Thatt Book Woman by Heather Henson, illustrated by David Small
The association is also giving the Voice of the Heartland Award, recognizing "a person or company in the book industry for a lifetime contribution to regional books," to Becky Anderson, Anderson's Bookshops, Naperville and Downers Grove, Ill.
Fiction: The Great Perhaps by Joe Meno
General: The Foie Gras Wars by Mark Caro
Children's Chapter Book: The Blind Faith Hotel by Pamela Todd
Children's Picture Book: Thatt Book Woman by Heather Henson, illustrated by David Small
The association is also giving the Voice of the Heartland Award, recognizing "a person or company in the book industry for a lifetime contribution to regional books," to Becky Anderson, Anderson's Bookshops, Naperville and Downers Grove, Ill.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
2009 Midwest Booksellers' Choice Awards
Winners of the 2009 Midwest Booksellers' Choice Awards, which honor "authors from the Midwest Booksellers Association region and/or books about the region" and are voted on by MBA members, are:
Fiction: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Nonfiction: Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting by Michael Perry
Poetry: Swimming With A Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle by Freya Manfred
Children's Picture Book: Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Harry Bliss
Children's Literature: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean
Honor recipients:
Fiction: A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Nonfiction: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the Worldd by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
Poetry: Yellowrocket by Todd Boss
Children's Picture Book: Snow by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Children's Literature: Savvy by Ingrid Law
Fiction: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Nonfiction: Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting by Michael Perry
Poetry: Swimming With A Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle by Freya Manfred
Children's Picture Book: Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Harry Bliss
Children's Literature: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean
Honor recipients:
Fiction: A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Nonfiction: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the Worldd by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
Poetry: Yellowrocket by Todd Boss
Children's Picture Book: Snow by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Children's Literature: Savvy by Ingrid Law
Monday, August 10, 2009
Hugo Awards
The winners of the 2009 Hugo Awards, chosen by members of the World Science Fiction Society, are:
Novel: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Novella: The Erdmann Nexus by Nancy Kress
Novelette: "Shoggoths in Bloom" by Elizabeth Bear
Short Story: "Exhalation" by Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)
Related Book: Your Hate Mail Will be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998–2008 by John Scalzi
Graphic Story: Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones, written by Kaja and Phil Foglio; art by Phil Foglio; colors by Cheyenne Wright
Novel: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Novella: The Erdmann Nexus by Nancy Kress
Novelette: "Shoggoths in Bloom" by Elizabeth Bear
Short Story: "Exhalation" by Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)
Related Book: Your Hate Mail Will be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998–2008 by John Scalzi
Graphic Story: Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones, written by Kaja and Phil Foglio; art by Phil Foglio; colors by Cheyenne Wright
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Awards: Crimespree Magazine; World Fantasy Finalists
Sean Chercover's Trigger City won the 2009 Crimespree magazine award for favorite book of 2008. Other winners were Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais (best in ongoing series), Brian Azzarello (favorite comics writer), Money Shot by Christa Faust (favorite original paperback, mass market or trade) You can see the runners-up in all categories at Crimespree's blog, Central Crime Zone.
Finalists have been named for this year's World Fantasy Awards. The winners will be announced at the World Fantasy Convention in October. The shortlist includes:
Novel:
The House of the Stag by Kage Baker
The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
Anthology
The Living Dead edited by John Joseph Adams
The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy edited by Ellen Datlow
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2008: Twenty-First Annual Collection edited by Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant
Logorrhea edited by John Klima
Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy edited by Ekaterina Sedia
Steampunk edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
Collection
Strange Roads by Peter S. Beagle
The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford
Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
Filter House by Nisi Shawl
Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
Finalists have been named for this year's World Fantasy Awards. The winners will be announced at the World Fantasy Convention in October. The shortlist includes:
Novel:
The House of the Stag by Kage Baker
The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Pandemonium by Daryl Gregory
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
Anthology
The Living Dead edited by John Joseph Adams
The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy edited by Ellen Datlow
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2008: Twenty-First Annual Collection edited by Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant
Logorrhea edited by John Klima
Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy edited by Ekaterina Sedia
Steampunk edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
Collection
Strange Roads by Peter S. Beagle
The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford
Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
Filter House by Nisi Shawl
Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
2009 RITA Awards
Contemporary Series Romance: A Mother's Wish by Karen Templeton
Contemporary Series Romance, Suspense/Adventure: Danger Signals by Kathleen Creighton
Young Adult Romance: Hell Week by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Historical Romance: The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal Regency Historical Romance: My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne
Inspirational Romance: Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren
Romance Novella: The Fall of Rogue Gerard by Stephanie Laurens in It Happened One Night
Paranormal Romance: Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements: Tribute by Nora Roberts
Romantic Suspense: Take No Prisoners by Cindy Gerard
Best First Book: Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
Contemporary Single Title Romance: Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson
Contemporary Series Romance, Suspense/Adventure: Danger Signals by Kathleen Creighton
Young Adult Romance: Hell Week by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Historical Romance: The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal Regency Historical Romance: My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne
Inspirational Romance: Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren
Romance Novella: The Fall of Rogue Gerard by Stephanie Laurens in It Happened One Night
Paranormal Romance: Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements: Tribute by Nora Roberts
Romantic Suspense: Take No Prisoners by Cindy Gerard
Best First Book: Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
Contemporary Single Title Romance: Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson
Monday, July 20, 2009
Author Frank McCourt Dies
Frank McCourt, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, Angela’s Ashes, died in Manhattan on Sunday. He was 78. Angela's Ashes describes a childhood of horrid deprivation:"When I look back on my childhood, I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: The happy childhood is hardly worth your while." He wrote 2 additional memoirs: ’Tis (1999), which described his early immigrant years in New York, and Teacher Man (2005), a bitter sweet account of his challenges as a public-school teacher.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thrillerfest 4 Award Awards
Brad Meltzer was awarded the Silver Bullet Award for his contributions to the advancement of literacy. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation was given the corporate award for its support of literacy and education. Alexandra Sokoloff won best short story for The Edge of Seventeen from the superhero anthology The Darker Mask . Tom Rob Smith won best first novel for his novel Child 44 . Jeffrey Deaver was awarded the best thriller for his latest novel The Bodies Left Behind. Sandra Brown, last year’s ThrillerMaster, introduced this year’s ThrillerMaster, David Morrell, who received the award “in recognition of his vast body of work and influence in the field of literature.” Morrell created Rambo, one of only five fictional characters that are said to be known worldwide (along with Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, James Bond and Harry Potter).
Monday, July 13, 2009
Lost Unfinished Graham Greene Mystery Discovered
The Los Angeles Times has reported that an unpublished, unfinished mystery novel by Graham Greene has been discovered. Found at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas in Austin by Francois Gallix, the manuscript is believed to have been written by Greene when he was 22. Set in a country house, the story opens as the guests meet in the morning and notice that one guest is absent. They go to wake him, only to find him murdered,a knife in his chest. The Strand Magazine will publish the existing five chapter as a serial, starting with its July issue. "To me what is wonderful about all of this is that Greene published a few short stories in the old Strand," said Andrew Gulli, The Strand Magazine’s managing editor, "so I feel we’re continuing the tradition." Gulli added that his magazine would like to find a writer to finish the manuscript.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Author Brad Thor at Warren Newport Library July 11
On Saturday, July 11, New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor will discuss his newest book The Apostle at the Warren Newport Public Library. His talk will start at 3:00 p.m.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Chicagoan David Reidy's Book Debut, Captive Audience
David Reidy, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, recently published his first work of fiction, Captive Audience. A collection of performance-based short stories, the book describes how Reidy sees what happens on stage in a live performance. His characters include stand-up comic, karaoke performers, and dancers.
Reidy currently is working on his next novel.
Reidy currently is working on his next novel.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Romance Author Eloisa James @ Warren Newport 7/10
Bestselling romance writer Eloisa James will be at Warren Newport Publicv Library on
Friday, July 10, 2:00 p.m. James will discuss her latest book This Duchess of Mine. After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale, and eventually became a Shakespeare professor and head of Fordham University's creative writing program. The public is invited. The library is located at 224 N. O'Plaine Rd in Gurnee, IL. For more information, call 847-244-5150.
Friday, July 10, 2:00 p.m. James will discuss her latest book This Duchess of Mine. After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale, and eventually became a Shakespeare professor and head of Fordham University's creative writing program. The public is invited. The library is located at 224 N. O'Plaine Rd in Gurnee, IL. For more information, call 847-244-5150.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
2009 Locus Award Winners
Winners are:
Science Fiction Novel: Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Fantasy Novel: Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin
First Novel: Singularity's Ring by Paul Melko
Young Adult Book: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Novella: Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
Novelette: Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi
Short Story: Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Anthology: The Year's Best Science Fiction ed. by Gardner Dozois
Collection: Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi
Non Fiction/Art Book: Coraline: The Graphic Novel, Neil Gaiman, adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell
Science Fiction Novel: Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Fantasy Novel: Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin
First Novel: Singularity's Ring by Paul Melko
Young Adult Book: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Novella: Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
Novelette: Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi
Short Story: Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Anthology: The Year's Best Science Fiction ed. by Gardner Dozois
Collection: Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi
Non Fiction/Art Book: Coraline: The Graphic Novel, Neil Gaiman, adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell
Monday, June 29, 2009
Chicago Author Patrick Somerville's Debut Novel
Patrick Somerville, who teaches literature and creative writing at Northwestern University, recently published his first novel, The Cradle. The Chicago Public Library has named him the winner of the 21st Century Award, and the novel has been optioned for film rights. Somerville also has published a volume of short stories, Trouble, in 2006. In a recent interview with Mary Houlihan of the Chicago Sun Times, Somerville said "I'm definitely of a school of writers that believes imagination can take you to a lot of places. Fiction is a way to explore questions about life, a workshop to think through the issues ahead of time."
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
"Our Histories, Our Stories" Program at the Harold Washington Library Center 6/29/2009
The program "Our Histories, Our Stories" with Henry Louis Gates Jr. in conversation with Rick Kogan will be held on Monday, June 29 at the Harold Washington Library Center from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. is the Aphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director at the W.E.B. Dubois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. His most recent book is Lincoln on Race and Slavery. Rick Kogan is the host of WGN's Sunday Papers with Rick Kogan and a columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Kogan is the author of several books, including Sidewalks: Portraits of Chicago. The program is sponsored by the Illinois Humanities Council and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. For more information, call 312-747-4050.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. is the Aphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director at the W.E.B. Dubois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. His most recent book is Lincoln on Race and Slavery. Rick Kogan is the host of WGN's Sunday Papers with Rick Kogan and a columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Kogan is the author of several books, including Sidewalks: Portraits of Chicago. The program is sponsored by the Illinois Humanities Council and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. For more information, call 312-747-4050.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Masterpiece Mystery Presents 6 Agatha Christie Mysteries
Masterpiece Mystery! presents 6 Agatha Christie mysteries this summer. David Suchet is Christie's Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot. Julia McKenzie is Christie's Miss Marple. The schedule:
June 21, 2009: Cat Among the Pigeons (Hercule Poirot).
June 28, 2009: Mrs. McGinty's Dead (Hercule Poirot).
July 05, 2009: A Pocket Full of Rye (Miss Marple).
July 12, 2009: Murder is Easy (Miss Marple).
July 19, 2009: They Do It With Mirrors (Miss Marple).
July 26, 2009: Why Didn't They Ask Evens? (Miss Marple).
June 21, 2009: Cat Among the Pigeons (Hercule Poirot).
June 28, 2009: Mrs. McGinty's Dead (Hercule Poirot).
July 05, 2009: A Pocket Full of Rye (Miss Marple).
July 12, 2009: Murder is Easy (Miss Marple).
July 19, 2009: They Do It With Mirrors (Miss Marple).
July 26, 2009: Why Didn't They Ask Evens? (Miss Marple).
Thursday, June 11, 2009
U. S. Author David Eddings Dead
Eddings was the author of more than 25 books, many of them written with his wife Leigh Eddings, who died in 2007. He started writing fantasy after he noticed a copy of The Lord of the Rings in a bookshop, and saw that it was in its 73rd printing. The Eddings' work includes The Belgariad series (5 books, 1982-1984) and The Malloreon series (5 books, 1987-1991), with three related books in the 1990s; The Elenium and The Tamuli (two trilogies, 1989-1994); and The Dreamers series (4 books, 2003-2006) He never using a typewriter or computer, writing out his novels in long-hand.
Although Eddings was a fantasy writer, he once admitted “I don’t read in the field. I can’t. I have an unconscious burglar living in my mind: If I read something, it’s mine. I can read Middle English stories, Geoffrey Chaucer or Sir Thomas Malory, but once I start moving in the direction of contemporary fantasy, my mind begins to take over.”
Fantasy author Stephen Hunt eulogized Eddings on his blog: "I was in my early teens when I discovered (Edddings') books, and they opened my eyes to the fact that not all fantasy had to be the 'Ye Olde Speake' variety favoured by Tolkien – they were fantasy, but they carried a modern feel to the dialogue and characterisation, while still being firmly placed in a deeply believable fantasy world.... David is one of the reasons I became a writer, so I guess you can partially blame my Jackelian series on him. He's probably pottering around Garion's farm right now with a smile on his face, wondering what all the fuss is about. Goodbye David, you will be missed."
Although Eddings was a fantasy writer, he once admitted “I don’t read in the field. I can’t. I have an unconscious burglar living in my mind: If I read something, it’s mine. I can read Middle English stories, Geoffrey Chaucer or Sir Thomas Malory, but once I start moving in the direction of contemporary fantasy, my mind begins to take over.”
Fantasy author Stephen Hunt eulogized Eddings on his blog: "I was in my early teens when I discovered (Edddings') books, and they opened my eyes to the fact that not all fantasy had to be the 'Ye Olde Speake' variety favoured by Tolkien – they were fantasy, but they carried a modern feel to the dialogue and characterisation, while still being firmly placed in a deeply believable fantasy world.... David is one of the reasons I became a writer, so I guess you can partially blame my Jackelian series on him. He's probably pottering around Garion's farm right now with a smile on his face, wondering what all the fuss is about. Goodbye David, you will be missed."
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Orange Prizes
Home by Marilynne Robinson was the judges' unanimous choice for this year's Orange Prize for best novel written by a woman. The shortlist included Samantha Hunt's The Invention of Everything Else, Samantha Harvey's The Wilderness, Deirdre Madden's Molly Fox's Birthday, Kamila Shamsie's Burnt Shadows and Ellen Feldman's Scottsboro. Francesca Kay won the Orange Award for New Writers for her novel An Equal Stillness.
The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction is one of the Great Britain's most prestigious literary prizes, awarded annually for the best original full-length novel by a female author of any nationality. The winner receives a cash prize and a bronze sculpture "Bessie" created by artist Grizel Niven. Past winners include: Carol Shields, Ann Patchett, Lionel Shriver, and Zadie Smith.
The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction is one of the Great Britain's most prestigious literary prizes, awarded annually for the best original full-length novel by a female author of any nationality. The winner receives a cash prize and a bronze sculpture "Bessie" created by artist Grizel Niven. Past winners include: Carol Shields, Ann Patchett, Lionel Shriver, and Zadie Smith.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Alice Munro Wins Booker International Prize
Canadian short story writer Alice Munro has won the third Booker International Prize. The prize is awarded every two years for an entire body of work and is open to writers from around the world. The first International Prize was awarded to Albanian writer Ismail Kadare in 2005. Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe won it in 2007. Munro has a new collection of stories, Too Much Happiness, coming out in November.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Northwestern Graduate Henriquez's Debut Novel
Cristina Henriquez's novel The World in Half reflects her life as the American-born child of Panamanians. The novel is set in Panama City and Hyde Park. The main character is a young student who abandons her studies at the University of Chicago to search for the Panamanian father who left her pregnant mother years before. Both the author and her character question where they belong. Henriquez has felt connected to both Panama and the United States, appreciating the cultures and customs of both countries. Holding a dual citizenship, Henriquez navigates comfortably in the 2 worlds. Henriquez wrote most of the novel at her Hinsdale home and the local library.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Lincoln Biographer Donald Dead
David Herbert Donald, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian of the Civil War and American South, died this past Sunday. A professor emeritus at Harvard University, Donald won Pulitzers for biographies of abolitionist Charles Sumner and novelist Thomas Wolfe. His latest book is Charles Sumner and the Coming of the Civil War. He was best known for his books on Lincoln. An award was named after him, the David Herbert Donald Prize for “excellence in Lincoln studies.”
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Dan Brown's Angels and Demons Film
Angels & Demons, based on the novel by Dan Brown opens this Friday, May 15. The story takes place before the events recorded in his best selling novel Da Vinci Code. Ron Howard directs this story of a Harvard symbologist (Tom Hanks) who must stop a secret society's attack on the Vatican. The film runs 138 minutes and is rated PG-13.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Public Enemies Film Based on Burrough's Book of Same Name
Bryon Burrough's book Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34 is the basis of Johnny Depp's upcoming film Public Enemies. The film was shot in Chicago and will open on the July 4th weekend. Depp plays the infamous gangster John Dillinger. Burrough, an extra in the film, goes to Depp's (Dillinger's)side after he has been shot. Depp (Dillinger)falls on the same slab of Chicago where Dillinger was shot 75 years ago.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Pen/Beard Awards
Cormac McCarthy has won the $25,000 PEN/Saul Bellow Award for lifetime achievement in American fiction. The PEN American Center also named Steve Coll the recipient of a nonfiction award for his book, The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century; and awarded citations to Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer, Ha Jin and 18 other authors for excellence in short fiction.
The James Beard Foundation named Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes by Jennifer McLagan as cookbook of the year.
The James Beard Foundation named Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes by Jennifer McLagan as cookbook of the year.
Friday, May 1, 2009
2009 Edgar Awards
The Mystery Writers of America named C. J. Box's Blue Heaven the best novel of 2009. Other 2009 Edgar winners:
Best First Novel: The Foreigner by Francie Lin
Best Paperback Original: China Lake by Meg Gardiner
Best Fact Crime: American Lightning: Terror, Mystery and the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century by Howard Blum
Best Critical/Biographical: Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to his Tell-Tale Stories by Dr. Harry Lee Poe
Best Short Story: "Skinhead Central," Mystery Writers of America Presents: The Blue Religion by T. Jefferson Parker
Best Juvenile: The Postcard by Tony Abbott
Best Young Adult: Paper Towns by John Green
Best Play: The Ballad of Emmett Till by Ifa Bayeza
Best Television Episode Teleplay: Prayer of the Bone, Wire in the Blood, Teleplay by Patrick Harbinson
Best Motion Picture Screen Play: In Bruges, Screenplay by Martin McDonagh
Robert L. Fish Memorial Award: "Buckner's Error," Queens Noir by Joseph Guglielmelli
Raven Awards: Edgar Allan Poe Society, Baltimore, Md., and Poe House, Baltimore, Md.
S&S/Mary Higgins Clark Award: The Killer's Wife by Bill Floyd
Best First Novel: The Foreigner by Francie Lin
Best Paperback Original: China Lake by Meg Gardiner
Best Fact Crime: American Lightning: Terror, Mystery and the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century by Howard Blum
Best Critical/Biographical: Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to his Tell-Tale Stories by Dr. Harry Lee Poe
Best Short Story: "Skinhead Central," Mystery Writers of America Presents: The Blue Religion by T. Jefferson Parker
Best Juvenile: The Postcard by Tony Abbott
Best Young Adult: Paper Towns by John Green
Best Play: The Ballad of Emmett Till by Ifa Bayeza
Best Television Episode Teleplay: Prayer of the Bone, Wire in the Blood, Teleplay by Patrick Harbinson
Best Motion Picture Screen Play: In Bruges, Screenplay by Martin McDonagh
Robert L. Fish Memorial Award: "Buckner's Error," Queens Noir by Joseph Guglielmelli
Raven Awards: Edgar Allan Poe Society, Baltimore, Md., and Poe House, Baltimore, Md.
S&S/Mary Higgins Clark Award: The Killer's Wife by Bill Floyd
Monday, April 27, 2009
2009 Nebula Awards
The winners of the Nebula Awards, sponsored and voted on by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, are:
Best Novel: Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin
Best Novella: The Spacetime Pool by Catherine Asaro
Best Novelette: Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel
Best Short Story: Trophy Wives by Nina Kiriki Hoffman (
Script: WALL-E screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon; original story by Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter
Other awards and their winners:
Andre Norton Award: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom (Despite Being Confined to Her Room) by Ysabeau S. Wilce
SFWA Service Award: Victoria Strauss
Bradbury Award for excellence in screenwriting: Joss Whedon
Grand Master Award: Harry Harrison
Author Emerita: M.J. Engh
A new honor, the Solstice Award, given to speculative fiction writers making a positive impact in the genres of science fiction or fantasy, was awarded to Kate Wilhelm, Martin H. Greenberg and the late Algis Budrys.
Best Novel: Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin
Best Novella: The Spacetime Pool by Catherine Asaro
Best Novelette: Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel
Best Short Story: Trophy Wives by Nina Kiriki Hoffman (
Script: WALL-E screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon; original story by Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter
Other awards and their winners:
Andre Norton Award: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom (Despite Being Confined to Her Room) by Ysabeau S. Wilce
SFWA Service Award: Victoria Strauss
Bradbury Award for excellence in screenwriting: Joss Whedon
Grand Master Award: Harry Harrison
Author Emerita: M.J. Engh
A new honor, the Solstice Award, given to speculative fiction writers making a positive impact in the genres of science fiction or fantasy, was awarded to Kate Wilhelm, Martin H. Greenberg and the late Algis Budrys.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
2009 Pultizer Prizes
The winners in Letters, Drama, and Music are:
Fiction: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Drama: Ruined by Lynn Nottage
History: The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed
Biography: American Lion by Jon Meacham
Poetry: The Shadow of Sirius by W. S. Merwin
General Nonfiction: Slavery by Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon
Music: Double Sextet by Steve Reich
Fiction: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Drama: Ruined by Lynn Nottage
History: The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed
Biography: American Lion by Jon Meacham
Poetry: The Shadow of Sirius by W. S. Merwin
General Nonfiction: Slavery by Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon
Music: Double Sextet by Steve Reich
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Author J.G. Ballard Dies
J. G. Ballard, best known for his autobiographical novel Empire of the Sun, has died. His other works include Crash, High-Rise, and The Crystal World. His writing helped set the adventurous tone for the British science fiction magazine New Worlds. In the 1960s,Ballard and Michael Moorcock, among others, were described as part of a New Wave in science fiction writing. Ballard recently published an autobiography, Miracles of Life.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
HarperCollins Plans on Publishing New Works of the Late Michael Crichton
HarperCollins has announced that the late Michael Crichton, best selling author of Jurassic Park and other thrillers, left behind at least one finished novel and about one-third of a second.HarperCollins will release Pirate Latitudes, an adventure story set in Jamaica in the 17th century, on Nov. 24. The company also plans to publish a technological thriller in the fall of 2010, a novel that Mr. Crichton was writing when he died. Crichton's assistant discovered Pirate Latitudes in Crichton's computer files after his death. The novel features a pirate named Hunter and the governor of Jamaica, and their plan to raid a Spanish treasure galleon. HarperCollins does not plan to take Crichton’s name and create a franchise in the way that ghostwriters have continued to publish books under Robert Ludlum’s name long after his death
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
2009 Bancroft Prize
The winners of the 2009 Bancroft Prize, awarded by Columbia University to the authors of books of "exceptional merit in the fields of American history, biography and diplomacy," are: Thomas G. Andrews for Killing for Coal: America's Deadliest Labor War , Drew Gilpin Faust for This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War ,and Pekka Hämäläinen for The Comanche Empire .
Friday, March 20, 2009
Lifetime Introduces 2009 Nora Roberts Movies March 21
Lifetime will kick off the premiere of the 2009 Nora Roberts Collection with a Nora-thon this Saturday, March 21. All the previous movies made from Nora's books will air starting at 11 am PT/ET with Sanctuary, Blue Smoke, Carolina Moon, Montana Sky and Angels Fall. Nora Roberts' Northern Lights will premiere at 9 pm ET/PT on Saturday night starring LeAnn Rimes. Nora Roberts' Midnight Bayou with Jerry O'Connell and Faye Dunaway will premiere on March 28. Nora Roberts' High Noon will air on April 4; Cybill Shepherd is one of the cast. The final movie, Nora Roberts' Tribute starring Brittany Murphy will air on Saturday, April 11. Encore airings of each movie will be shown immediately after the premiere, at 9 pm on the Sunday and Monday after the premiere. On Sunday, April 12, there will be a mini Nora-thon, with all the 2009 Nora Roberts Collection airing one after the other starting at 3 pm ET/PT.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Man Booker International Prize Shortlist
Fourteen authors from 12 countries have been named to the shortlist for the Man Booker International Prize. The Man Booker International Prize is given every two years acknowledging a writer's contribution to world literature. The nominees are Evan S. Connell, Joyce Carol Oates and E.L. Doctorow (U.S.), Mahasweta Devi Bangladesh), James Kelman (U.K.), Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru), Arnošt Lustig (Czech Republic), Alice Munro (Canada), V.S. Naipaul (Trinidad/India), Antonio Tabucchi Italy), Ngugi Wa Thiong'O (Kenya), Dubravka Ugresic (Croatia), Peter Carey (Australia) and Ludmila Ulitskaya (Russia). Jane Smiley, chair of the judges, said that choosing the shortlist had made the judges aware of "how unusual and astonishing the literary world really is. . . . We've all read books by authors we had never heard of before and they have turned out to be some of the best books we've ever read. It makes me wonder who else is out there untranslated into English."
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Story Prize Award
Tobias Wolff has won the $20,000 Story Prize for his collection Our Story Begins. Runners up were Jhumpa Lahiri for Unaccustomed Earth and Joe Meno for Demons in the Spring. They both receive $5,000. The judges said this about Tobias' work: "The previously uncollected pieces by Wolff in this new collection show an increasingly severe insistence on the most telling and specific detail as the author creates entire worlds, entire life stories, out of eloquent molecules of narrative. The emotional impact of these lapidary stories is specific and powerful. It is this great sense of the human condition, combined with the close detailing of everyday life that makes Tobias Wolff such an exceptional writer."
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Playwright Horton Foote Dead at 92
Horton Foote, playwright and screenwriter, died March 4. Foote wrote more than 50 plays and films. He won a Pultizer Prize in 1995 for his play The Young Man From Atlanta. He also won 2 Oscars for his screen adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and for his original script Tender Mercies. Frank Rich, who as chief theater critic of The New York Times in the 1980s was one of Mr. Foote’s champions, once called him “one of America’s living literary wonders.” On Wednesday Mr. Rich described Mr. Foote as “a major American dramatist whose epic body of work recalls Chekhov in its quotidian comedy and heartbreak, and Faulkner in its ability to make his own corner of America stand for the whole.”
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Author Philip Jose Farmer Dead at 91
Philip Jose Farmer, a longtime Peoria resident, died on February 25. Farmer wrote more than 75 novels, including the Riverworld, Dayworld, and World of Tiers series. He won the Hugo Award three times and the Grand Master Award for Science Fiction in 2001. Farmer's first published story, "The Lovers",(1952) was based on a love affair between an earth man and an alien woman. Its treatment of sexuality made him a well-discussed writer. Originally, the story was rejected by 2 editors. Yet it ended up earning Farmer a Hugo award for the "most promising new author." Farmer was well-respected in the science fiction world. Robert Heinlein dedicated his classic novel Strangers in a Strange Land to Farmer. Farmer's last book, The City Beyond Play, was published in 2007.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
2009 Pen Faulkner Award Announced
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill has won the $15,000 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. The four finalists, who each receive $5,000 are: Ms. Hempel Chronicles by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, A Person of Interest by Susan Choi, Lush Life by Richard Price and Serena by Ron Rash.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
2009 Agatha Nominees Announed
Best Novel:
Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews
A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry
I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Best First Novel:
Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis
Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris
Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet )
Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan
Nonfiction:
African American Mystery Writers: A Historical & Thematic Study
by Frankie Y. Bailey
How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries by Kathy Lynn Emerson
Anthony Boucher, A Bibliography by Jeff Marks
Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories
by Dr. Harry Lee Poe
The Suspicions of Mr. Whitcher by Kate Summerscale
Best Short Story:
"The Night Things Changed" by Dana Cameron, Wolfsbane & Mistletoe
"Killing Time" by Jane Cleland, Alfred Hitchock Mystery Magazine
November 2008
"Dangerous Crossing" by Carla Coupe, Chesapeake Crimes 3
"Skull & Cross Examination"by Toni Kelner, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine February2008
"A Nice Old Guy" by Nancy Pickard, Ellery Queen Mystery MagazineAugust 2008
The Agatha Awards honor the "traditional mystery." The award is named after Agatha Christie to honor books like hers. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that: contain no explicit sex,contain no excessive gore or gratuitous violence,usually feature an amateur detective,take place in a confined setting and contain characters who know one another. Novels and stories featuring police officers and private detectives may qualify for the awards, but materials generally classified as "hard-boiled" are not appropriate.The 2008 Agatha Awards will be given for materials first published in the United States by a living author during the calendar year 2008 (January 1-December 31), either in hardcover, as a paperback original, or e-published by an e-publishing firm.
Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews
A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry
I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Best First Novel:
Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis
Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris
Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet )
Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan
Nonfiction:
African American Mystery Writers: A Historical & Thematic Study
by Frankie Y. Bailey
How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries by Kathy Lynn Emerson
Anthony Boucher, A Bibliography by Jeff Marks
Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories
by Dr. Harry Lee Poe
The Suspicions of Mr. Whitcher by Kate Summerscale
Best Short Story:
"The Night Things Changed" by Dana Cameron, Wolfsbane & Mistletoe
"Killing Time" by Jane Cleland, Alfred Hitchock Mystery Magazine
November 2008
"Dangerous Crossing" by Carla Coupe, Chesapeake Crimes 3
"Skull & Cross Examination"by Toni Kelner, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine February2008
"A Nice Old Guy" by Nancy Pickard, Ellery Queen Mystery MagazineAugust 2008
The Agatha Awards honor the "traditional mystery." The award is named after Agatha Christie to honor books like hers. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries that: contain no explicit sex,contain no excessive gore or gratuitous violence,usually feature an amateur detective,take place in a confined setting and contain characters who know one another. Novels and stories featuring police officers and private detectives may qualify for the awards, but materials generally classified as "hard-boiled" are not appropriate.The 2008 Agatha Awards will be given for materials first published in the United States by a living author during the calendar year 2008 (January 1-December 31), either in hardcover, as a paperback original, or e-published by an e-publishing firm.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
2009 Lincoln Prize
Two books are sharing the 2009 Lincoln Prize, awarded by the Lincoln and Soldiers Institute at Gettysburg College for "the finest scholarly work in English on Abraham Lincoln or the American Civil War soldier or a subject relating to their era."
The winners are Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson and Lincoln and His Admirals: Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Navy and the Civil War by Craig L. Symonds. McPherson won the Lincoln Prize in 1998 for For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War, and Symonds was a finalist in 1993. Each author wins $25,000 and a bronze cast of Lincoln.
The winners are Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson and Lincoln and His Admirals: Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Navy and the Civil War by Craig L. Symonds. McPherson won the Lincoln Prize in 1998 for For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War, and Symonds was a finalist in 1993. Each author wins $25,000 and a bronze cast of Lincoln.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Edgar Allan Poe 200th
This year marks the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birth. New books celebrating his mastery of storytelling are: Poe: A Life Cut Short by Peter Ackroyd, On a Raven's Wing ed. by Stuart M. Kaminsky, and In the Shadow of the Master: Classic Tales by Edgar Allan Poe and essays by Jeffrey Deaver, Nelson DeMille and others, ed. by Michael Connelly. In a recent interview, Michael Connelly discusses the book and his own work. Connelly talks about his novel The Poet, which he says "is completely influenced by Poe. As I explain in my In the Shadow of the Master essay, the novel was a means of literary homage and theft. Several lines of Poe’s poetry were used as clues in the book. They were beautiful and eerie: “I dwelt alone in the world of moan.” Until these lines are revealed late in the book as coming from the pen of Edgar Allan Poe, I got the credit for them! It was wonderful." Connelly's next novel, The Scarecrow, is coming out in May 2009. Reporter Jack McEvoy and FBI Agent Rachel Walling are reunited for the first time since The Poet.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
2009 Edgar Award Nominations Announced
The Mystery Writers of America has announced the nominations for its annual Edgar Awards. The winners will be announced during the 63rd Annual Edgar® Awards Banquet to be held on Thursday April 30, 2009.
BEST NOVEL:
Missing by Karin Alvtegen; Blue Heaven by C.J. Box ; Sins of the Assassin by Robert Ferrigno; The Price of Blood by Declan Hughes;The Night Following by Morag Joss; Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz .
BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR:
The Kind One by Tom Epperson; Sweetsmoke by David Fuller; The Foreigner by Francie Lin; Calumet City by Charlie Newton; A Cure for Night by Justin Peacock.
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL:
The Prince of Bagram Prison by Alex Carr; Money Shot by Christa Faust; Enemy Combatant by Ed Gaffney; China Lake by Meg Gardiner; The Cold Spot by Tom Piccirilli.
BEST FACT CRIME:
For The Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb and the Murder that Shocked Chicago by Simon Baatz; American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century by Howard Blum; Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost It To The Revolution by T.J. English; The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Hans van Meegeren by Jonathan Lopez; The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale.
BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL:
African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey; Hard-Boiled Sentimentality: The Secret History of American Crime Stories by Leonard Cassuto; Scene of the Crime: The Importance of Place in Crime and Mystery Fiction by David Geherin; The Rise of True Crime by Jean Murley; Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories by Dr. Harry Lee Poe.
BEST NOVEL:
Missing by Karin Alvtegen; Blue Heaven by C.J. Box ; Sins of the Assassin by Robert Ferrigno; The Price of Blood by Declan Hughes;The Night Following by Morag Joss; Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz .
BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR:
The Kind One by Tom Epperson; Sweetsmoke by David Fuller; The Foreigner by Francie Lin; Calumet City by Charlie Newton; A Cure for Night by Justin Peacock.
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL:
The Prince of Bagram Prison by Alex Carr; Money Shot by Christa Faust; Enemy Combatant by Ed Gaffney; China Lake by Meg Gardiner; The Cold Spot by Tom Piccirilli.
BEST FACT CRIME:
For The Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb and the Murder that Shocked Chicago by Simon Baatz; American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century by Howard Blum; Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost It To The Revolution by T.J. English; The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Hans van Meegeren by Jonathan Lopez; The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale.
BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL:
African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey; Hard-Boiled Sentimentality: The Secret History of American Crime Stories by Leonard Cassuto; Scene of the Crime: The Importance of Place in Crime and Mystery Fiction by David Geherin; The Rise of True Crime by Jean Murley; Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories by Dr. Harry Lee Poe.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
2008 National Book Critics Circle Awards
Fiction Finalists:
Roberto Bolaño, 2666.
Marilynne Robinson, Home.
Aleksandar Hemon, The Lazarus Project.
M. Glenn Taylor, The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart.
Elizabeth Strout, Olive Kittredge.
Autobiography Finalists:
Rick Bass, Why I Came West.
Helene Cooper, The House On Sugar Beach.
Honor Moore, The Bishop’s Daughter.
Andrew X. Pham, The Eaves Of Heaven.
Ariel Sabar, My Father’s Paradise: A Son’s Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq.
Biography Finalists:
Paula J. Giddings, Ida, A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching.
Steve Coll, The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family In An American Century.
Patrick French, The World Is What It Is: The Authorized Biography of V.S. Naipaul.
Annette Gordon-Reed, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family.
Brenda Wineapple, White Heat: The Friendship of Emily Dickinson & Thomas Wentworth Higginson.
Nonfiction Finalists:
Dexter Filkins, The Forever War.
Drew Gilpin Faust, This Republic of Suffering: Death and the Civil War.
Jane Mayer, The Dark Side.
Allan Lichtman, White Protestant Nation.
George C. Herring, From Colony to Superpower: US Foreign Relations Since 1776.
Poetry Finalists:
August Kleinzahler, Sleeping It Off in Rapid City.
Juan Felipe Herrera, Half the World in Light.
Devin Johnston, Sources.
Pierre Martory (translated by John Ashbery), The Landscapist.
Brenda Shaughnessy, Human Dark with Sugar.
Criticism Finalists:
Richard Brody, Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life Of Jean-Luc Godard.
Vivian Gornick, The Men in My Life.
Joel L. Kraemer, Maimonides: The Life and World of One of Civilization’s Greatest Minds.
Reginald Shepherd, Orpheus in the Bronx: Essays on Identity, Politics, and the Freedom of Poetry.
Seth Lerer, Children’s Literature: A Reader’s History: Reader’s History from Aesop to Harry Potter.
The National Book Critics Circle, founded in 1974 at the Algonquin, is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization consisting of some 700 active book reviewers who are interested in honoring quality writing and communicating with one another about common concerns. It is managed by a 24-member all-volunteer board of directors.
Roberto Bolaño, 2666.
Marilynne Robinson, Home.
Aleksandar Hemon, The Lazarus Project.
M. Glenn Taylor, The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart.
Elizabeth Strout, Olive Kittredge.
Autobiography Finalists:
Rick Bass, Why I Came West.
Helene Cooper, The House On Sugar Beach.
Honor Moore, The Bishop’s Daughter.
Andrew X. Pham, The Eaves Of Heaven.
Ariel Sabar, My Father’s Paradise: A Son’s Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq.
Biography Finalists:
Paula J. Giddings, Ida, A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching.
Steve Coll, The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family In An American Century.
Patrick French, The World Is What It Is: The Authorized Biography of V.S. Naipaul.
Annette Gordon-Reed, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family.
Brenda Wineapple, White Heat: The Friendship of Emily Dickinson & Thomas Wentworth Higginson.
Nonfiction Finalists:
Dexter Filkins, The Forever War.
Drew Gilpin Faust, This Republic of Suffering: Death and the Civil War.
Jane Mayer, The Dark Side.
Allan Lichtman, White Protestant Nation.
George C. Herring, From Colony to Superpower: US Foreign Relations Since 1776.
Poetry Finalists:
August Kleinzahler, Sleeping It Off in Rapid City.
Juan Felipe Herrera, Half the World in Light.
Devin Johnston, Sources.
Pierre Martory (translated by John Ashbery), The Landscapist.
Brenda Shaughnessy, Human Dark with Sugar.
Criticism Finalists:
Richard Brody, Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life Of Jean-Luc Godard.
Vivian Gornick, The Men in My Life.
Joel L. Kraemer, Maimonides: The Life and World of One of Civilization’s Greatest Minds.
Reginald Shepherd, Orpheus in the Bronx: Essays on Identity, Politics, and the Freedom of Poetry.
Seth Lerer, Children’s Literature: A Reader’s History: Reader’s History from Aesop to Harry Potter.
The National Book Critics Circle, founded in 1974 at the Algonquin, is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization consisting of some 700 active book reviewers who are interested in honoring quality writing and communicating with one another about common concerns. It is managed by a 24-member all-volunteer board of directors.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Best Selling Author Steve Berry @Warren Newport Public Library
Steve Berry, the creator of the Cotton Malone thrillers, will be at the Warren Newport Public Library next Thursday,February 5, at 7:00 p.m. His books, including his current best seller, The Charlemagne Pursuit, will be available for purchase and signing.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Pulitzer Winner Novelist John Updike Dead
John Updike, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, died Tuesday January 27. He was prolific, creating more than 50 books, including novels, short stories, criticism, and a memoir. Updike won many literary prizes, including two Pulitzers, for Rabbit Is Rich and Rabbit at Rest. A collection of essays, Hugging the Shore, received the 1983 National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism. In 2003, Updike received the National Medal for Humanities at the White House. His two series,the "Bech" and the "Rabbit" books, are his most known. His Witches of Eastwick (1984), about three 20th-century sorceresses, was made into a successful film by George Miller, starring Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer. His last 2 books were Terrorist, about an angry young American Muslim who becomes involved in a plot to blow up the Lincoln Tunnel and The Widows of Eastwick, a sequel to his best selling Witches of Eastwick. Of his writing, Updike once commented that his aim was to "give the mundane its beautiful due".
Friday, January 23, 2009
Oscar Nominations Go to Films Adapted From Books
Oscar nominations have been awarded to several films adapted from books. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, based on a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was nominated for best picture, best director (David Fincher), best actor (Brad Pitt), best supporting actress (Taraji P. Henson) and best adapted screenplay. Slumdog Millionaire, based upon Vikas Swarup's novel Q&A, was nominated for best picture, best director (Danny Boyle) and best adapted screenplay. The Reader, based upon Bernhard Schlink's novel, was nominated for best picture, best director (Stephen Daldry), best actress (Kate Winslet) and best adapted screenplay. Revolutionary Road, based upon the novel by Richard Yates, was nominated for best supporting actor (Michael Shannon), best art direction and best costume design.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Creator of Rumpole Sir John Mortimer Dead
John Mortimer, widely known for his Rumpole series, died last Friday at 86. Mortimer was a verstille writer, known as a playwright (part of the "new wave" with John Osborne and Harold Pinter), screenwriter, novelist, and journalist. Mortimer also was a practicing barrister and Queen's Counsel, a fierce free-speech advocate, a divorce lawyer and a criminal attorney. Like his character Horace Rumpole, Mortimer accepted only defense briefs. His Rumpole is probably best known through Leo McKern's portrayals on television. In court, Mortimer was like Rumpole. He enjoyed needling judges. And they often responded in kind. During one closing argument, Mortimer apologized to the jury because they'd had to sit "through the most boring trial ever to have been held in the criminal court." The judge began his own summation by noting, "It may surprise you to know, members of the jury, that the sole purpose of the criminal law in England is not to entertain Mr. Mortimer." In later years, Mortimer created a trilogy of blackly comedic political novels, the Rapstone Chronicles.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Borders Original Voices 2008 Awards
The winners of the 2008 Borders Original Voices Awards, which honor "fresh, compelling and ambitious written works from new and emerging talents" are :
Fiction: The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. The committee commented: "A haunting story of ordinary and not-so-ordinary people trying to find and retain their humanity in the midst of war and siege."
Nonfiction: The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner. "Part travelogue, part self-help, part anthropological study, the best part of this entertaining and informative book is Weiner's rich, clever writing." Young Adult: I Am Apache by Tanya Landman. "An engaging, well researched book that any young adult--or any adult for that matter--will find compelling, thanks to its unorthodox storyline and passionate, vengeful protagonist."
Picture book: Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri. "The quirky, colorful illustrations perfectly complement the imaginative text, making this a book that kids and parents will cherish and want to read again and again." Each winner receives $5,000, and the books will be featured in Borders stores.
Fiction: The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. The committee commented: "A haunting story of ordinary and not-so-ordinary people trying to find and retain their humanity in the midst of war and siege."
Nonfiction: The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner. "Part travelogue, part self-help, part anthropological study, the best part of this entertaining and informative book is Weiner's rich, clever writing." Young Adult: I Am Apache by Tanya Landman. "An engaging, well researched book that any young adult--or any adult for that matter--will find compelling, thanks to its unorthodox storyline and passionate, vengeful protagonist."
Picture book: Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri. "The quirky, colorful illustrations perfectly complement the imaginative text, making this a book that kids and parents will cherish and want to read again and again." Each winner receives $5,000, and the books will be featured in Borders stores.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Mystery Author Donald E. Westlake Dead
Donald E. Westlake, the creator of over 100 books and 5 plays, died New Year's Eve of a heart attack. He was 75. Since his first book was published in 1960,Westlake had written under his own name and several pseudonyms, including Richard Stark, Tucker Coe, Samuel Holt and Edwin West. Most of his books shared one feature: They were set in New York City, where he was born. Later in his career, Westlake limited himself to two pen names. He used his own name to write about a comical criminal named John Dortmunder. As Richard Stark, he wrote a series about a criminal named Parker. More than 15 of his books were made into movies. Westlake also wrote a number of screenplays, including The Grifters which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1991. His next novel, Get Real, is scheduled for release in April. He typed all his manuscripts on a portable manual typewriter. Westlake received three Edgar Awards and the title of Grand Master from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993.
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