New Books
The adoration of Jenna Fox / Mary E. Pearson
Seventeen-year-old Jenna awakens from a year-long coma to a body and a life she doesn’t recognize. Science fiction, medical thriller.
Audrey, wait! / Robin Benway
When 16-year-old Audrey dumps her band-singer boyfriend, he writes a hit song about their breakup. Now she must fend off the paparazzi and handle the gossip magazines. (amazon.com; 12/04/2009)
Bonechiller / Graham McNamee
In this supernatural thriller set in a remote Canadian town in the dead of winter, four friends encounter a cannibalistic creature that is hunting and killing teens. (Amazon.com; 12/08/09)
The brothers Torres / Coert Voorhees
Frankie, an awkward Hispanic teenager, has a crush on the lovely Rachel. His older brother, Steve, is running with a tough crowd and risking his college scholarship. When Frankie is beaten by a rich white boy, Steve is determined to exact revenge. Received starred Review from School Library Journal.
The fortunes of Indigo Skye / Deb Caletti
Eighteen-year-old Indigo Skye has it all – a loving family, an adoring boyfriend, a job she enjoys. Then a stranger leaves her a $2.5 million tip. As she navigates the advantages and hazards of sudden wealth, Indigo learns that money isn’t everything.
Graceling / Kristin Cashore
Katsa is a “graceling,” a person born with an extraordinary skill. She is a gifted fighter forced to work as a thug for her uncle, the king. Katsa has secretly formed the Council, a league which works for justice.
Impossible / Nancy Werlin
Lucy is destined for madness unless she can perform the three tasks described in the ballad “Scarborough Fair” and break the elfin curse.
The knife of never letting go / Patrick Ness
In Prentisstown, everyone can hear everyone’s thoughts in a cacophony known as Noise. Todd discovers a place of silence and learns a secret that forces him to flee for his life. First book in the Chaos Walking trilogy.
The last knight / Hilari Bell
It is “colder than a witch’s kiss … and blacker than a tax collector’s heart” on the night Sir Michael and his squire, Fisk, rescue Lady Ceciel. Then they learn that she is not a damsel in distress but an accused murderer.
The Maze runner / James Dashner
Thomas remembers only his name when he awakens in the Glade, a place with a maze surrounded by stone doors that open every morning and close every evening.
Muchacho / Louanne Johnson
Eddie Corazon lives in a rough town in New Mexico. On a slippery slope to delinquency, Eddie changes because of Lupe, a beautiful girl with college dreams.
Night road / A.M. Jenkins
Training a vampire isn’t easy.
Playing with matches / Brian Katcher
Leon, seventeen-year-old geek, finds a friend in Melody, an outsider whose face is badly scarred. As their friendship turns to romance, Leon draws the attention of the beautiful Amy.
Princess Ben / Catherine G. Murdock
After Princess Benevolence’s parents and uncle are killed, she is taken in by the queen, her scheming Aunt Sophia. Locked in the tower, Ben discovers an enchanted room and begins to learn the magic that will free her and save her kingdom.
Purple heart / Patricia McCormick
Haunted by the image of a Iraqi boy being shot in the chest, Pvt. Matt Duffy doesn’t feel like a hero.
Slam dunk / Kate Jaimet
Sixteen-year-old Salvador “Slam” Amaro is the assistant coach for the girls’ basketball team. It’s a cushy job until the head coach and the point guard disappear.
Stealing heaven / Elizabeth Scott
Danielle, 18, and her mother move from town to town stealing from rich families. In the latest resort, Dani becomes friends with the target and begins to question her priorities.
Suite Scarlett / Maureen Johnson
Scarlett’s family, owners of the Hopewell Hotel, is struggling financially and has let the staff go. Scarlett is responsible for the Empire Suite and its eccentric occupant, Mrs. Amy Amberson.
Ten cents a dance / Christine Fletcher
Set in 1940’s Chicago. Ruby leaves school to support her family. Trading her dreary mill job for one in a club that pays 10 cents a dance.There, Ruby experiences the glamour of the jazz age and the shadowy world of the mob.
The wild girls / Pat Murphy
Joan and her new friend, Sarah, write stories together. When an entry wins first place in a student contest, they are invited to a summer writing program.
Bishop McNamara is a Catholic, college-prep high school in Kankakee, IL. The library blog introduces new books, book reviews, book trailers, fun and interesting articles, original writing, and school and community news.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
New Library Books - Nonfiction
Nonfiction
Always looking up: the adventures of an incurable optimist / Michael J. Fox
Fox tells his story of battling Parkinson’s disease and how he has come to view obstacles as opportunities.
The assist : hoops, hope and the games of their lives / Neil Swidey
Jack O’Brien, basketball coach at Boston’s Charlestown High School, built a powerhouse program and a family for players, working to keep students focused on education rather than crime and drugs.
Clara’s war : one girls story of survival / Clara Kramer
The diary of a Polish-Jewish teenager who hid from the Nazis for 20 months in an underground bunker.
K2 : life and death on the world’s most dangerous mountain / Ed Viesturs with David Roberts
The real-life adventures of six expeditions to the world’s second-tallest mountain, K2, in the Karakoram Range in northern Pakistan.
A lucky child : a memoir of surviving Auschwitz as a young boy / Thomas Buergenthal
Buergenthal grew up in a Polish ghetto and survived Auschwitz. He is now a judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
No choirboy : murder, violence, and teenagers on death row / Susan Kuklin
Presents the stories of four young men who committed murder before they were 18 and the story of a victim’s family.
The sunflower : on the possibilities and limits of forgiveness / Simon Wiesenthal
While imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, Simon Wiesenthal was taken one day from his work detail to the bedside of a dying member of the SS. The soldier wanted to confess to – and obtain absolution from – a Jew. Wiesenthal said nothing. After the war ended, Wiesenthal wondered if he had done the right thing. In this revised and expanded edition, fifth-three distinguished men and women respond to Wiesenthal’s dilemma. (paraphrased from the back cover; 12/4/2009)
The things they carried / Tim O’Brien
Fictional account of American soldiers’ experience in Vietnam.
Always looking up: the adventures of an incurable optimist / Michael J. Fox
Fox tells his story of battling Parkinson’s disease and how he has come to view obstacles as opportunities.
The assist : hoops, hope and the games of their lives / Neil Swidey
Jack O’Brien, basketball coach at Boston’s Charlestown High School, built a powerhouse program and a family for players, working to keep students focused on education rather than crime and drugs.
Clara’s war : one girls story of survival / Clara Kramer
The diary of a Polish-Jewish teenager who hid from the Nazis for 20 months in an underground bunker.
K2 : life and death on the world’s most dangerous mountain / Ed Viesturs with David Roberts
The real-life adventures of six expeditions to the world’s second-tallest mountain, K2, in the Karakoram Range in northern Pakistan.
A lucky child : a memoir of surviving Auschwitz as a young boy / Thomas Buergenthal
Buergenthal grew up in a Polish ghetto and survived Auschwitz. He is now a judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
No choirboy : murder, violence, and teenagers on death row / Susan Kuklin
Presents the stories of four young men who committed murder before they were 18 and the story of a victim’s family.
The sunflower : on the possibilities and limits of forgiveness / Simon Wiesenthal
While imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, Simon Wiesenthal was taken one day from his work detail to the bedside of a dying member of the SS. The soldier wanted to confess to – and obtain absolution from – a Jew. Wiesenthal said nothing. After the war ended, Wiesenthal wondered if he had done the right thing. In this revised and expanded edition, fifth-three distinguished men and women respond to Wiesenthal’s dilemma. (paraphrased from the back cover; 12/4/2009)
The things they carried / Tim O’Brien
Fictional account of American soldiers’ experience in Vietnam.
Monday, December 7, 2009
"Fire" - coming soon to a library near you
Fire is a companion to Kristin Cashore's excellent fantasy novel, Graceling (a recent Mac library purchase). Read a review at the New York Times
Friday, December 4, 2009
New Books
The things they carried / Tim O’Brien
Fictional account of American soldiers’ experience in Vietnam.
The knife of never letting go / Patrick Ness
In Prentisstown, everyone can hear everyone’s thoughts in a cacophony known as Noise. Todd discovers a place of silence and learns a secret that forces him to flee for his life. First book in the Chaos Walking trilogy.
Audrey, wait! / Robin Benway
When 16-year-old Audrey decides to dump her band-singer boyfriend, she has no idea that he will go on to write a chart-topping song about their breakup. Now she must fend off the paparazzi and handle the gossip magazines. (Amazon.com; 12/04/2009)
Graceling / Kristin Cashore
Katsa is a “graceling,” a person born with an extraordinary skill. She is a gifted fighter forced to work as a thug for her uncle, the king. Katsa has secretly formed the Council, a league which works for justice. She rescues the father of the Lienid king, and with his grandson, unravels the plot that led to his capture. Received a starred review from School Library Journal.
Slam dunk / Kate Jaimet
Sixteen-year-old Salvador “Slam” Amaro is the assistant coach for the girls’ basketball team. It’s a cushy job until the head coach and the point guard disappear.
The fortunes of Indigo Skye / Deb Caletti
Eighteen-year-old Indigo Skye has it all – a loving family, an adoring boyfriend, a job she enjoys. Then a stranger leaves her a $2.5 million tip. As she navigates the advantages and hazards of sudden wealth, Indigo learns that money isn’t everything.
The brothers Torres / Coert Voorhees
Frankie, an awkward Hispanic teenager, has a crush on the lovely Rachel. His older brother, Steve, is running with a tough crowd and risking his college scholarship. When Frankie is beaten by a rich white boy, Steve is determined to exact revenge. Received starred Review from School Library Journal.
The sunflower : on the possibilities and limits of forgiveness / Simon Wiesenthal
While imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, Simon Wiesenthal was taken one day from his work detail to the bedside of a dying member of the SS. The soldier wanted to confess to – and obtain absolution from – a Jew. Wiesenthal said nothing. After the war ended, Wiesenthal wondered if he had done the right thing. In this revised and expanded edition, fifth-three distinguished men and women respond to Wiesenthal’s dilemma. (paraphrased from the back cover; 12/4/2009)
Fictional account of American soldiers’ experience in Vietnam.
The knife of never letting go / Patrick Ness
In Prentisstown, everyone can hear everyone’s thoughts in a cacophony known as Noise. Todd discovers a place of silence and learns a secret that forces him to flee for his life. First book in the Chaos Walking trilogy.
Audrey, wait! / Robin Benway
When 16-year-old Audrey decides to dump her band-singer boyfriend, she has no idea that he will go on to write a chart-topping song about their breakup. Now she must fend off the paparazzi and handle the gossip magazines. (Amazon.com; 12/04/2009)
Graceling / Kristin Cashore
Katsa is a “graceling,” a person born with an extraordinary skill. She is a gifted fighter forced to work as a thug for her uncle, the king. Katsa has secretly formed the Council, a league which works for justice. She rescues the father of the Lienid king, and with his grandson, unravels the plot that led to his capture. Received a starred review from School Library Journal.
Slam dunk / Kate Jaimet
Sixteen-year-old Salvador “Slam” Amaro is the assistant coach for the girls’ basketball team. It’s a cushy job until the head coach and the point guard disappear.
The fortunes of Indigo Skye / Deb Caletti
Eighteen-year-old Indigo Skye has it all – a loving family, an adoring boyfriend, a job she enjoys. Then a stranger leaves her a $2.5 million tip. As she navigates the advantages and hazards of sudden wealth, Indigo learns that money isn’t everything.
The brothers Torres / Coert Voorhees
Frankie, an awkward Hispanic teenager, has a crush on the lovely Rachel. His older brother, Steve, is running with a tough crowd and risking his college scholarship. When Frankie is beaten by a rich white boy, Steve is determined to exact revenge. Received starred Review from School Library Journal.
The sunflower : on the possibilities and limits of forgiveness / Simon Wiesenthal
While imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, Simon Wiesenthal was taken one day from his work detail to the bedside of a dying member of the SS. The soldier wanted to confess to – and obtain absolution from – a Jew. Wiesenthal said nothing. After the war ended, Wiesenthal wondered if he had done the right thing. In this revised and expanded edition, fifth-three distinguished men and women respond to Wiesenthal’s dilemma. (paraphrased from the back cover; 12/4/2009)
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
For Sale - 1963 Typewriter
To be auctioned by Christie's : 1963 Olivetti Lettera 32, manual typewriter. Acquired from a pawn shop in Knoxville, TN. Paid $50. Present owner, Cormac McCarthy.
[McCarthy says, “The typewriter] has never been serviced or cleaned other than blowing out the dust with a service station hose. ... I have typed on this typewriter every book I have written including three not published. Including all drafts and correspondence I would put this at about five million words over a period of 50 years.”
Cormac McCarthy is the author of more than a dozen novels, including "All the Pretty Horses," "No Country for Old Men," and 2007 Pulitzer winner, "The Road." The movie adaptation of "No Country for Old Men" won four Oscars, including the award for Best Picture.
McCarthy decided to sell his trusty, but nearly-worn-out, Olivetti when a friend, John Miller, offered to buy a replacement. Miller managed to locate another Olivetti 32, and purchased it for $11.
Christie's will auction the typewriter on Friday; the purchase price is estimated between $15,000 and $20,000. The proceeds to the Santa Fe Institute, a nonprofit interdisciplinary scientific research organization with which both McCarthy and Miller are affiliated.
Read the original article at The New York Times.
[McCarthy says, “The typewriter] has never been serviced or cleaned other than blowing out the dust with a service station hose. ... I have typed on this typewriter every book I have written including three not published. Including all drafts and correspondence I would put this at about five million words over a period of 50 years.”
Cormac McCarthy is the author of more than a dozen novels, including "All the Pretty Horses," "No Country for Old Men," and 2007 Pulitzer winner, "The Road." The movie adaptation of "No Country for Old Men" won four Oscars, including the award for Best Picture.
McCarthy decided to sell his trusty, but nearly-worn-out, Olivetti when a friend, John Miller, offered to buy a replacement. Miller managed to locate another Olivetti 32, and purchased it for $11.
Christie's will auction the typewriter on Friday; the purchase price is estimated between $15,000 and $20,000. The proceeds to the Santa Fe Institute, a nonprofit interdisciplinary scientific research organization with which both McCarthy and Miller are affiliated.
Read the original article at The New York Times.
100 Most Notable Books of 2008
The 100 most notable books of 2008 according to The New York Times Book Review. Follow the link to a list of titles and synopses.
Monday, November 30, 2009
"New York Times" reviewers favorites books of 2009
Michiko Kakutani, Dwight Garner, and Janet Maslin, New York Times book reviewers, each list their ten favorite books of the year.
Biography of boxing-great Sugar Ray Robinson
Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson / Wil Haygood
Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest boxer of the 1940' and 50's. He earned five middleweight and one welterweight title. Robinson also loved jazz, and owned a popular club in Harlem. in 1951, He became the third African American to grace the cover of Time magazine. Read more at the New York Times.
Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest boxer of the 1940' and 50's. He earned five middleweight and one welterweight title. Robinson also loved jazz, and owned a popular club in Harlem. in 1951, He became the third African American to grace the cover of Time magazine. Read more at the New York Times.
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Best of the Best: Flannery O'Connor's short stories named best of National Book Award winners
An online poll conducted by the National Book Foundation named Flannery O'Connor's collection, The Complete Stories, the best work of fiction to receive the National Book Award in the contest's 60-year history. Read more at The New York Times.
Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964) was the author of two novels and thirty-two short stories. A native of Milledgeville, Georgia, O'Connor earned a Bachelor's degree from Georgia State College for Women (now known as Georgia College and State University) and was accepted by the Iowa Writer's Workshop. A devout Roman Catholic, her writing often wrestled with issues of morality and ethics.
Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964) was the author of two novels and thirty-two short stories. A native of Milledgeville, Georgia, O'Connor earned a Bachelor's degree from Georgia State College for Women (now known as Georgia College and State University) and was accepted by the Iowa Writer's Workshop. A devout Roman Catholic, her writing often wrestled with issues of morality and ethics.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
National Book Awards
Colum McCann won the National Book Award for fiction for Let the Great World Spin.
The award for nonfiction went to T.J. Stiles for The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
The prize for Young People's Literature went to Phillip Hoose for Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. Claudette Colvin was an African American teen living in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1950's; Colvin refused to give up her seat on a bus nine months before Rose Parks did the same.
Keith Waldrop received the award for poetry for Transcendental studies: a trilogy.
Read more at The New York Times
The award for nonfiction went to T.J. Stiles for The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
The prize for Young People's Literature went to Phillip Hoose for Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. Claudette Colvin was an African American teen living in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1950's; Colvin refused to give up her seat on a bus nine months before Rose Parks did the same.
Keith Waldrop received the award for poetry for Transcendental studies: a trilogy.
Read more at The New York Times
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
ALA 2009 Best Books for Young Adults
American Library Association 2009 Best Books for Young Adults. Follow the link to see the entire list.
Top Ten List
(** owned by Bishop McNamara Library)
Bowman, Robin. It's Complicated: The American Teenager. Umbrage Editions. 2007. 978-1-884167-69-0 $40.00
Conner, Leslie. Waiting for Normal. HarperTeen/HarperCollins. 2008. 978-0-06-089088-9 $16.99
**de la Pena, Matt. Mexican WhiteBoy. Delacorte. 2008. 978-0-385-73310-6 $15.00
Dowd, Siobhan. Bog Child. Random House/David Fickling Books. 2008. 978-0-385-75169-8
$16.99
**Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic. 2008. 978-0-439-02348-1 $17.99
Fletcher, Christine. Ten Cents a Dance. Bloomsbury. 2008. 978-1-59990-164-0 $16.95
Monninger, Joseph. Baby. Front Street/Boyd Mills Press. 2007. 978-1-59078-502-7 $16.95
Pratchett, Terry. Nation. HarperCollins. 2008. 978-0-06-143302-3 $17.89
Tamaki, Mariko and Jillian Tamaki. Skim. House of Anansi Press / Groundwood Books. 2008. 978-0-88899-753-1 $18.95
**Voorhees, Coert. The Brothers Torres. Disney/Hyperion. 2008. 978-1-4231-0304-2 $16.99
Top Ten List
(** owned by Bishop McNamara Library)
Bowman, Robin. It's Complicated: The American Teenager. Umbrage Editions. 2007. 978-1-884167-69-0 $40.00
Conner, Leslie. Waiting for Normal. HarperTeen/HarperCollins. 2008. 978-0-06-089088-9 $16.99
**de la Pena, Matt. Mexican WhiteBoy. Delacorte. 2008. 978-0-385-73310-6 $15.00
Dowd, Siobhan. Bog Child. Random House/David Fickling Books. 2008. 978-0-385-75169-8
$16.99
**Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic. 2008. 978-0-439-02348-1 $17.99
Fletcher, Christine. Ten Cents a Dance. Bloomsbury. 2008. 978-1-59990-164-0 $16.95
Monninger, Joseph. Baby. Front Street/Boyd Mills Press. 2007. 978-1-59078-502-7 $16.95
Pratchett, Terry. Nation. HarperCollins. 2008. 978-0-06-143302-3 $17.89
Tamaki, Mariko and Jillian Tamaki. Skim. House of Anansi Press / Groundwood Books. 2008. 978-0-88899-753-1 $18.95
**Voorhees, Coert. The Brothers Torres. Disney/Hyperion. 2008. 978-1-4231-0304-2 $16.99
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Read for College! Read for Life!
The Young Adult Library Services Association has published their 2009 list of Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners. The list includes these categories: Arts & Humanities, History & Cultures, Literature & Language Arts, Science & Technology, and Social Sciences.
It's Twilight in America
November 23 issue of Time features an article about the Twilight movies. Read more at the circulation desk.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Stephen King's Newest Book
Under the Dome, Stephen King's newest book.
“Under the Dome” gravely threatens Stephen King’s status as a mere chart-busting pop cultural phenomenon. It has the scope and flavor of literary Americana, even if Mr. King’s particular patch of American turf is located smack in the middle of the Twilight Zone. It dispenses with his usual scatology and trippy fantasy to deliver a spectrum of credible people with real family ties, health crises, self-destructive habits and political passions." [from The New York Times;accessed 11/13/09]. Read more....
“Under the Dome” gravely threatens Stephen King’s status as a mere chart-busting pop cultural phenomenon. It has the scope and flavor of literary Americana, even if Mr. King’s particular patch of American turf is located smack in the middle of the Twilight Zone. It dispenses with his usual scatology and trippy fantasy to deliver a spectrum of credible people with real family ties, health crises, self-destructive habits and political passions." [from The New York Times;accessed 11/13/09]. Read more....
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Film series?
I am showing the film "Gandhi" for Scholastic Bowl players in several sessions beginning today (Nov 10) right after school until 4: 00 and plan to show the next part next Wenesday afternoon. Any interested Mac people are welcome to my films which are aimed at increasing cultural literacy. The first film I showed was "Amadeus."
The Good Soldiers : a chat with author David Finkel
In 2007, American troops began the surge in Iraq. David Finkel, a Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter for The Washington Post, was embedded for eight months with a battalion from Fort Riley, Kansas. He chronicled the surge from their post on the outskirts of Baghdad. At the center of the story is Col. Ralph Kauzlarich, a tough optimist whose motto is "It's all good."
Mr. Finkel, 54, answered questions this week, via e-mail, from a Times deputy foreign editor, Ian Fisher. Read the entire article at the New York Times.
Mr. Finkel, 54, answered questions this week, via e-mail, from a Times deputy foreign editor, Ian Fisher. Read the entire article at the New York Times.
Friday, November 6, 2009
New member!!!
Madame Linneman and her Fakemagic blog are now part of the Mac Library blog!!!! Party!
Publisher's Weekly's List : Best books of 2009
Publisher's Weekly's list includes NO women authors. Read more at the New York Times.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
New Book
800
Home : American writers remember rooms of their own / edited by Sharon S. Fiffer and Steve Fiffer
Includes stories by Sharon Fiffer; Jane Smiley; Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; Esmeralda Santiago; Bailey White and others.
Home : American writers remember rooms of their own / edited by Sharon S. Fiffer and Steve Fiffer
Includes stories by Sharon Fiffer; Jane Smiley; Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; Esmeralda Santiago; Bailey White and others.
Monday, November 2, 2009
New books 11/02/09
300
50 ways to help you community : a handbook for change / Steve Fiffer and Sharon Fiffer
600
The boy who harnessed the wind : creating currents of electricity and hope / William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
In poverty-stricken rural Malawi, Kamkwamba used discarded motor parts, PVC pipe, and a bicycle wheel to build a windmill. For his community, “a windmill meant more than just power, it was freedom.”
(Amazon.com ; 11/02/09)
800
The Canterbury tales / Geoffrey Chaucer ; translated by David Wright
The Canterbury tales [Norton critical edition]
Fiction
Splendor : a Luxe novel / Anna Godbersen
The continuing saga of socialites, romance, and intrigue set in old New York. The fourth book in a series.
50 ways to help you community : a handbook for change / Steve Fiffer and Sharon Fiffer
600
The boy who harnessed the wind : creating currents of electricity and hope / William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
In poverty-stricken rural Malawi, Kamkwamba used discarded motor parts, PVC pipe, and a bicycle wheel to build a windmill. For his community, “a windmill meant more than just power, it was freedom.”
(Amazon.com ; 11/02/09)
800
The Canterbury tales / Geoffrey Chaucer ; translated by David Wright
The Canterbury tales [Norton critical edition]
Fiction
Splendor : a Luxe novel / Anna Godbersen
The continuing saga of socialites, romance, and intrigue set in old New York. The fourth book in a series.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
One woman's junk is another's treasure
Read Sharon Fiffer's postings about yard sales and collecting on her home page.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
New Books - 10/16/09
600
We beat the street : how a friendship pact led to success / by the three doctors : Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt with Sharon M. Draper
The story of how three teenage boys from a tough neighborhood in Newark, N.J., avoided gangs and crime and encouraged and challenged each other to pursue medical degrees. (replacement copy)
700
Cathedral (DVD) / hosted by David Macaulay
Depicts the construction and design of medieval a French cathedral.
800
Half broke horses : a true-life novel / Jeannette Walls
Walls tells the story of Lily Casey Smith, her spirited maternal grandmother. Smith was a teacher, horse-breaker, rancher, and ruthless poker player. (by the author of The Glass Castle).
The surrender tree : Poems of Cuba’s struggle for freedom / Margarita Engle
Engle’s poems construct a narrative woven around Cuba’s Wars for Independence, 1850-1899. The poems are narrated by Rosa, a freed slave and healer; Teniente Muerte or Lieutenant Death, son of a slave hunter ; Jose, Rosa’s husband; and Silvia, an escapee from a Cuban reconcentration camp.
Biography
Look me in the eye : my life with Asperger’s / John E. Robison
Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at age forty, Robison tells the painful story of longing to connect with other people. As a child, his quirky behavior marked his as a social deviant. As a middle-school student, he discovered a gift for repairing machines and circuitry; he now owns a successful company dedicated to repairing and restoring high-end European cars. “In the end, Robison succeeds in his goal of helping those who are struggling to grow up or live with Asperger's to see how it is not a disease but a way of being that needs no cure except understanding and encouragement from others.”(Amazon.com ; 10/16/09)
Fiction
Does my head look big in this? / Randa Abdel-Fattah
Sixteen year old Amal is an Australian-born, Muslim Palestinian. A typical teenager, she is also serious about her Muslim faith and decides to wear a hijab, the traditional Muslim headdress. A funny, heart-warming book that addresses issues of faith, culture and values.
And another thing : Douglas Adams’s hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy : part six of three / Eoin Colfer
“The rather unexpected, but very welcome, sixth installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. It features a pantheon of unemployed gods, everyone's favorite renegade Galactic President, a lovestruck green alien, an irritating computer, and at least one very large slab of cheese.” (Amazon.com ; 10/19/09)
We beat the street : how a friendship pact led to success / by the three doctors : Drs. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt with Sharon M. Draper
The story of how three teenage boys from a tough neighborhood in Newark, N.J., avoided gangs and crime and encouraged and challenged each other to pursue medical degrees. (replacement copy)
700
Cathedral (DVD) / hosted by David Macaulay
Depicts the construction and design of medieval a French cathedral.
800
Half broke horses : a true-life novel / Jeannette Walls
Walls tells the story of Lily Casey Smith, her spirited maternal grandmother. Smith was a teacher, horse-breaker, rancher, and ruthless poker player. (by the author of The Glass Castle).
The surrender tree : Poems of Cuba’s struggle for freedom / Margarita Engle
Engle’s poems construct a narrative woven around Cuba’s Wars for Independence, 1850-1899. The poems are narrated by Rosa, a freed slave and healer; Teniente Muerte or Lieutenant Death, son of a slave hunter ; Jose, Rosa’s husband; and Silvia, an escapee from a Cuban reconcentration camp.
Biography
Look me in the eye : my life with Asperger’s / John E. Robison
Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at age forty, Robison tells the painful story of longing to connect with other people. As a child, his quirky behavior marked his as a social deviant. As a middle-school student, he discovered a gift for repairing machines and circuitry; he now owns a successful company dedicated to repairing and restoring high-end European cars. “In the end, Robison succeeds in his goal of helping those who are struggling to grow up or live with Asperger's to see how it is not a disease but a way of being that needs no cure except understanding and encouragement from others.”(Amazon.com ; 10/16/09)
Fiction
Does my head look big in this? / Randa Abdel-Fattah
Sixteen year old Amal is an Australian-born, Muslim Palestinian. A typical teenager, she is also serious about her Muslim faith and decides to wear a hijab, the traditional Muslim headdress. A funny, heart-warming book that addresses issues of faith, culture and values.
And another thing : Douglas Adams’s hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy : part six of three / Eoin Colfer
“The rather unexpected, but very welcome, sixth installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. It features a pantheon of unemployed gods, everyone's favorite renegade Galactic President, a lovestruck green alien, an irritating computer, and at least one very large slab of cheese.” (Amazon.com ; 10/19/09)
New Library Books - 10/21/09
Fiction
The good guy / Dean Koontz
Tim Carrier, an unassuming stone mason, is mistaken for a hit man. A stranger slips him an envelope containing $10,000 and a photo of the intended victim and leaves. Moments later, the real hit man arrives and assumes Tim is his client. Tim pays the hit man for his trouble but tells him he’s changed his mind. This ploy buys Tim enough time to warn the victim and help her flee for her life.
Gym candy / Carl Deuker
High-school football player Mick Johnson is determined not to follow the path of his father’s failed NFL career. Mick discards his vitamin supplements in favor of steroids, but while turning in record-breaking performances, he also suffers dangerous side-effects.
The haunting of Alaizabel Cray / Chris Wooding
“In Victorian London, a new plague is underway: an infestation of demonic creatures known as wych-kin. Thaniel Fox, a 17-year-old wych-hunter who calls forth both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Indiana Jones, spends his time reducing wych-kin populations with methods that combine magic, superstition, and good old-fashioned gunslinging. After stumbling upon an obviously traumatized young woman on one of his expeditions, he swiftly discovers that she has escaped from the clutches of a powerful cult called the Fraternity. The connections between Alaizabel's plight, rising numbers of wych-kin, and the Fraternity's plans are revealed by tantalizing degrees, as Thaniel; Alaizabel; Thaniel's guardian, Cathaline; and several colorful allies join forces to combat evil on a terrifying scale.” (Amazon.com ; 10/21/09)
Leaving paradise / Simone Elkeles
Maggie has just been released from the hospital where doctors repaired her leg; Caleb has just been released from the prison after serving nine months for the car accident that injured Maggie. The two narrate alternate chapters, relating stories of psychological and physical trauma, harassment and social rejection, and their bittersweet love story.
900
The good soldiers / David Finkel
David Finkel chronicles the surge in Iraq as a Washington Post correspondent imbedded with 2-16 Infantry Battalion in Baghdad. The “waning violence still meant wild firefights, nerve-wracking patrols through hostile neighborhoods where every trash pile could hide an IED, and dozens of comrades killed and maimed. At the fraught center of the story is Col. Ralph Kauzlarich, whose dogged can-do optimism—his motto is “It’s all good”—pits itself against declining morale and whispers of mutiny.”
(Amazon.com ; 10/21/09)
The good guy / Dean Koontz
Tim Carrier, an unassuming stone mason, is mistaken for a hit man. A stranger slips him an envelope containing $10,000 and a photo of the intended victim and leaves. Moments later, the real hit man arrives and assumes Tim is his client. Tim pays the hit man for his trouble but tells him he’s changed his mind. This ploy buys Tim enough time to warn the victim and help her flee for her life.
Gym candy / Carl Deuker
High-school football player Mick Johnson is determined not to follow the path of his father’s failed NFL career. Mick discards his vitamin supplements in favor of steroids, but while turning in record-breaking performances, he also suffers dangerous side-effects.
The haunting of Alaizabel Cray / Chris Wooding
“In Victorian London, a new plague is underway: an infestation of demonic creatures known as wych-kin. Thaniel Fox, a 17-year-old wych-hunter who calls forth both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Indiana Jones, spends his time reducing wych-kin populations with methods that combine magic, superstition, and good old-fashioned gunslinging. After stumbling upon an obviously traumatized young woman on one of his expeditions, he swiftly discovers that she has escaped from the clutches of a powerful cult called the Fraternity. The connections between Alaizabel's plight, rising numbers of wych-kin, and the Fraternity's plans are revealed by tantalizing degrees, as Thaniel; Alaizabel; Thaniel's guardian, Cathaline; and several colorful allies join forces to combat evil on a terrifying scale.” (Amazon.com ; 10/21/09)
Leaving paradise / Simone Elkeles
Maggie has just been released from the hospital where doctors repaired her leg; Caleb has just been released from the prison after serving nine months for the car accident that injured Maggie. The two narrate alternate chapters, relating stories of psychological and physical trauma, harassment and social rejection, and their bittersweet love story.
900
The good soldiers / David Finkel
David Finkel chronicles the surge in Iraq as a Washington Post correspondent imbedded with 2-16 Infantry Battalion in Baghdad. The “waning violence still meant wild firefights, nerve-wracking patrols through hostile neighborhoods where every trash pile could hide an IED, and dozens of comrades killed and maimed. At the fraught center of the story is Col. Ralph Kauzlarich, whose dogged can-do optimism—his motto is “It’s all good”—pits itself against declining morale and whispers of mutiny.”
(Amazon.com ; 10/21/09)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Sharon Fiffer, author and Bishop Mac alum
Sharon Schmidt Fiffer, writer and Bishop Mac alum, will be visiting campus on November 16 during 8th hour. Visit her homepage to learn more.
The first six titles listed below are Fiffer’s mystery books. The main character is Jane Wheel, professional picker* and private investigator, who is a “graduate” of Bishop Mac. The books are set in the Chicago area and often feature Kankakee landmarks.
Hollywood Stuff
Buried Stuff
The Wrong Stuff
Dead Guy's Stuff
Killer Stuff
Scary Stuff
[*Picker – one who shops estate sales, garage sales, etc., and buys antiques or collectibles to sell to individuals or antique dealers(or in Jane Wheel’s case, someone who buys trinkets or junk and then refuses to part with it!)]
Other books edited by Sharon Fiffer:
Home: American Writers Remember Rooms of Their Own -- edited by Sharon
and Steve Fiffer
Family: American Writers Remember Their Own -- edited by Sharon and Steve
Fiffer
Body -- edited by Sharon and Steve Fiffer
50 Ways To Help Your Community: A Handbook for Change -- Sharon and Steve
Fiffer
To learn more about Sharon Fiffer, read her article on Poe's Deadly Daughters: a blog for mystery lovers.
The first six titles listed below are Fiffer’s mystery books. The main character is Jane Wheel, professional picker* and private investigator, who is a “graduate” of Bishop Mac. The books are set in the Chicago area and often feature Kankakee landmarks.
Hollywood Stuff
Buried Stuff
The Wrong Stuff
Dead Guy's Stuff
Killer Stuff
Scary Stuff
[*Picker – one who shops estate sales, garage sales, etc., and buys antiques or collectibles to sell to individuals or antique dealers(or in Jane Wheel’s case, someone who buys trinkets or junk and then refuses to part with it!)]
Other books edited by Sharon Fiffer:
Home: American Writers Remember Rooms of Their Own -- edited by Sharon
and Steve Fiffer
Family: American Writers Remember Their Own -- edited by Sharon and Steve
Fiffer
Body -- edited by Sharon and Steve Fiffer
50 Ways To Help Your Community: A Handbook for Change -- Sharon and Steve
Fiffer
To learn more about Sharon Fiffer, read her article on Poe's Deadly Daughters: a blog for mystery lovers.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize, Britain’s most prestigious literary award, is conferred every year to a novel written by an author from Britain, Ireland or the Commonwealth nations. The award includes a cash prize of about $80,000. This year's recipient is Hilary Mantel for “Wolf Hall,” a historical novel about Thomas Cromwell, advisor to King Henry VIII. To learn more, read the online New York Times.
Jeanette Walls' new book - coming soon!
Jeanette Walls , author of The Glass Castle (from the 2008-09 Read for a Lifetime list), has published a new book. Glass Castle chronicles the story of Walls hard-scrabble childhood. Half Broke Horses, billed as a real-life novel, tells the story of Walls' maternal grandmother Lily. To learn more, read the free online New York Times.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Check out the latest!
New books:
Front and center / Catherine Murdock (author of Dairy Queen)
The lost symbol / Dan Brown
Scary stuff / Sharon Fiffer (the newest Jane Wheel mystery. Fiffer is a native of Kankakee and a graduate of Bishop Mac)
The grass harp and other stories / Truman Capote
Front and center / Catherine Murdock (author of Dairy Queen)
The lost symbol / Dan Brown
Scary stuff / Sharon Fiffer (the newest Jane Wheel mystery. Fiffer is a native of Kankakee and a graduate of Bishop Mac)
The grass harp and other stories / Truman Capote
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sports, anyone?
If you like sports, give these books a try:
Playing for pizza / John Grisham
Dairy Queen / Catherine Murdock
The off season / Catherine Murdock
Shooting stars / Lebron James
Mexican whiteboy / Matt de la Pena
Playing for pizza / John Grisham
Dairy Queen / Catherine Murdock
The off season / Catherine Murdock
Shooting stars / Lebron James
Mexican whiteboy / Matt de la Pena
New Books
The Hunger games / Suzanne Collins
Post-apocolyptic, fantasy. Hunting for food is part of the annual "Hunger Games," and the Games are a fight to the death. Sequel : Catching Fire
Post-apocolyptic, fantasy. Hunting for food is part of the annual "Hunger Games," and the Games are a fight to the death. Sequel : Catching Fire
Getting the girl : a guide to private investigation, surveillance, and cookery / Susan Juby
Someone is “D-listing” or blackballing girls at Harewood Technical, and Sherman Mack is determined to find out who. For altruistic reasons and to impress the lovely Vanessa, Mack becomes a teen detective.”
Someone is “D-listing” or blackballing girls at Harewood Technical, and Sherman Mack is determined to find out who. For altruistic reasons and to impress the lovely Vanessa, Mack becomes a teen detective.”
Dangerous Liaisons / Choderlos de Laclos
Published in the years preceding the French Revolution, Laclos writes of emotional and moral depravity, aristocrats who seduce and manipulate others for the sake of amusement.
Sunrise over Fallujah / Walter D. MyersPublished in the years preceding the French Revolution, Laclos writes of emotional and moral depravity, aristocrats who seduce and manipulate others for the sake of amusement.
As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Robin Perry wonders about "an enemy we can't identify and friends we're not sure about." Captures the beauty of Iraq, the ugliness war, and the comraderie of soldiers. Robin's eventually decides that his experience was not about winning or losing the war but about "reaching for the highest idea of life." [Amazon, 8/25/09]
Tending lives : nurses on the medical front / Echo Heron
A collection of interviews with nurses in various fields. Alternately heart-warming and hilarious, the stories include a glimpse into a psych ward and stories from nurses who treated patients in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing. Heron portrays the compassion and commitment of highly trained professional nurses.
A collection of interviews with nurses in various fields. Alternately heart-warming and hilarious, the stories include a glimpse into a psych ward and stories from nurses who treated patients in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing. Heron portrays the compassion and commitment of highly trained professional nurses.
Second glance / Jodi Picoult
“It is August in Comtosook, Vt., yet suddenly the temperature fluctuates wildly, rose petals mysteriously fall like snow, patches of land are completely frozen and roiling garter snakes cover the ground. Suspense and the supernatural are artfully interwoven in this 10th novel by Picoult (Perfect Match, etc.), in which a man desperately seeks to join his fiancee in death, and a 1930s eugenics project comes back to haunt a small town in Vermont.” [Amazon, 8/25/09]
“It is August in Comtosook, Vt., yet suddenly the temperature fluctuates wildly, rose petals mysteriously fall like snow, patches of land are completely frozen and roiling garter snakes cover the ground. Suspense and the supernatural are artfully interwoven in this 10th novel by Picoult (Perfect Match, etc.), in which a man desperately seeks to join his fiancee in death, and a 1930s eugenics project comes back to haunt a small town in Vermont.” [Amazon, 8/25/09]
Harvesting the heart / Jodi Picoult
Paige, a gifted painter, sets aside her art to support her husband, Nicholas, while he attends medical school. Abandoned by her birth mother and rejected by her wealthy in-laws, Paige’s search for self-confidence reaches a crisis point when her son is born.
Paige, a gifted painter, sets aside her art to support her husband, Nicholas, while he attends medical school. Abandoned by her birth mother and rejected by her wealthy in-laws, Paige’s search for self-confidence reaches a crisis point when her son is born.
Strapless / Deborah Davis
John Singer Sargent, an American artist living in Paris, and his infamous portrait of Virginie Gautreau, an American-born Parisian known for her beauty. Sargent's seductive portrayal of Gautreau ruined her reputation and nearly cost him his career.
John Singer Sargent, an American artist living in Paris, and his infamous portrait of Virginie Gautreau, an American-born Parisian known for her beauty. Sargent's seductive portrayal of Gautreau ruined her reputation and nearly cost him his career.
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