Author Profile: Cory Doctorow

(Image credit - Jonathan Worth)

Author Cory Doctorow is a digital-rights activist, blogger, speaker, father, and has written books across several genres, including the nonfiction “Content” and the young adult “Little Brother” – which we reviewed last year. Doctorow is a writer and contributor for boingboing, a blog about “tech, culture, and liberty.” Many of his books are available as free downloads from his website, where you’ll also find information about Creative Commons licenses (as seen above), as well as interesting news from the tech world. While all of Doctorow’s books have a decidedly techie bent, you don’t need to be a techie to enjoy them – just be prepared for an interesting ride that will make you care about the characters, and never want to put the book down (or turn the computer off!).

Little Brother

Taking its title as a check to the "Big Brother" in George Orwell's classic 1984, Little Brother gives the reader an intense and satisfying modern view of a post-9/11 world that is scary in more ways than one. Watch the suspense as teenage hacker Marcus and his friends try to outwit the government's technology and live their lives normally again.

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Makers

Corporate giants and micro-projects are the focus of this novel about a pair of genius geeks who have more ideas than they know what to do with. They find cures for various conditions and diseases, new ways to run theme parks, and cheap 3D printing. Their ideas can cause them trouble, of course, and we see the effects of technology's rapid changes through booms and busts.

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Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present

A treasure trove of scifi stories is presented here, in several novellas featuring takes on gold farmers (which you'll also find in 2010's For the Win), zombies, robots, and system administrators. Doctorow is aces at exploring the possibilities of technology, so if you enjoy speculative fiction, this is the one for you.

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Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Doctorow's very first novel shows his love for Disney theme parks. In this Locus-award winner, where the technologically immortal intend to take over the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents at the theme park. Left to stop them is a century-old named Jules, whose boyhood dream was to take up residence at Disney World. Jules' story is a wild ride (and not just when he's riding the rides) through technology and dreams.

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Outside of a Dog, #95

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

All of us no matter what age or stage in life want to look attractive and even more important stay healthy. The following titles offer some interesting and different approaches to achieving those goals.

Old is the New Young - Mark Erickson, Matt Narrett, Jacquelyn Kung, and Lisa Davila

This book has the mission of empowering senior adults to live healthier, happier, and more active lives. Chapters on physical health, social concerns, and retirement challenges are all thoughtfully written with practical and useful advice offered to readers. Erickson himself is the CEO of a senior housing development that serves approximately 22,000 seniors.

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Grow Younger, Live Longer: 10 Steps to Reverse Aging - Deepak Chopra

Best selling author and spiritual counselor Chopra gives readers a complete manual for renewal and reversing aging. Each of the ten steps discussed translate into three daily activities or assignments. A lot of old fashioned common sense about diets, exercise, and spirituality is offered with a touchy feely new age influence.

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Gary Null’s Power Aging: The Revolutionary Program to Control the Symptoms of Aging Naturally - Gary Null

Another staple of public television, Gary Null has written dozens of books and made multiple program appearances. His wellness program is based on sensible science and a variety of mind-over-body techniques, allowing followers to attempt to reverse, eliminate, and control the signs of aging.

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Ten Years Younger: The Amazing Ten-Week Plan to Look Better, Feel Better, and Turn Back the Clock - Steven Masley

The author feels that Americans on the whole are aging faster than ever, with conditions like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease increasing the aging process earlier and earlier. His advice covers diet, supplements, exercise, and social relationships aimed at helping readers eliminate bad habits and increase life expectancy.

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Author Profile: Chris Bohjalian

Chris Bohjalian, author of Oprah’s Book Club pick “Midwives,” chosen in 1998, has since been ever more prolific with his touching novels of family life. He lives in Vermont with his wife, a photographer, in a house that inspired his novel “The Hangman.” If you enjoy thought-provoking emotional reads, try one of these favorites:

Secrets of Eden (2010)
A literary thriller involving a murdered woman, her pastor, her family and other families like hers, “Secrets of Eden” explores grief and the things we keep to ourselves and our closest confidantes, no matter what their effect on others may end turn out to be. Bohjalian touches on the meaning of faith, and the controversy of domestic abuse, among other deep topics in this newest novel.
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Before You Know Kindness (2004)
A large family’s years of New England vacations are quite literally shot down, when one of the children accidentally fires a hunting rifle. This event sets in motion a court case and family trauma aplenty. While it looks like a dramatic novel, there are parts here that resonate with satire, especially those that involve PETA-lookalike FERAL.
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Trans-Sister Radio (2000)
Few, if any novels currently out handle the subject of transsexuals as though it is a normal situation. Bohjalian does this adroitly, with this novel of Alison, a pre-operative male-to-female transsexual, and how she falls in love with Dana Stevens, just a few months shy of her surgery. The author takes this highly-charged story and makes it a careful tale of controversy and love.
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The Buffalo Soldier (2002)
From the loss of two daughters to the gain of a foster son, “The Buffalo Soldier” deals with Bohjalian’s usual territory: family trauma, usually that motivated by grief and loss. Here, the story is about the Sheldons, whose loss of two daughters in a flood leads to the fostering of Alfred, a 10-year-old African American boy. Through Alfred’s research into the titular ‘buffalo soldiers’ of the Civil War, and the Sheldons’ infidelities, we learn about the meaning of marriage, the bond between parents and children, and the quiet insights of grief.
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Outside of a Dog, #94

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

One of the most important elements of any successful job search is the interview. If you are lucky enough to find an employment opening that matches your career skills, luckier still to be scheduled for an interview, you’ve accomplished a very crucial first step. Yet, the interview itself is critical for eventual success. There are a lot of books detailing how to put together a good looking resume and cover letter. Here are a few titles that highlight the next step in the process, how to do well on the interview.

Don’t Blow the Interview: How to Prepare, What to Expect, and How to React – Ralph Ferrone

In today’s extremely competitive job market interviewing well is an essential part of any job search strategy. This book offers advice on dressing and etiquette, common interview questions and suggestions for effective answers, as well as what to do or not do after the interview process is completed.

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101 Smart Questions to Ask on Your Interview – Ron Fry

Most people anticipating a job interview focus on what their answers will be to a variety of questions, yet everyone who has experienced interviewing is almost always asked somewhere in the meeting “Do you have any questions for us?” This book attempts to give you the skills and insight to answer that question and present yourself as a confident and poised candidate.

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Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed – Anthony H. Medley

This is a classic title that is revised and reissued almost every other year since its first publication in the early 1990s. It’s detailed, serious in tone, and covers a wide selection of topics such as the different types of interviews you might experience, sample questions and answers, and how to combat the expected nervousness. A must read for anyone undertaking a professional or business interview.

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How to Say It: Job Interviews – Linda Matias

The author gives you the tools aptly named “Your Interview Tool Kit” to succeed in any interview situation. She describes several different types of interviews such as the informational interview, the screening interview, or team interview. She suggests some original answers to typical interview questions and even offers advice on handling what might be an inappropriate or even illegal interview question.

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301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions – Vicky Oliver

Do questions like “Do you consider yourself a leader? Why or why not?” “Are you a better visionary or implementer?” “Are you Jewish?” “What did you dislike most about your past jobs?” give you pause? If so, don’t panic this books offers practical and intelligent answers to those questions and many more. This title gives you the skills and attitude to finesse your way through any question, even the most ridiculous and far fetched including “If you could be any color of crayon in the box what would you be?”

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Read This Book: White Cat, by Holly Black

Today’s Book: White Cat (The Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black


A Little Background: The setting is something of a parallel universe - our world, but not exactly - in the modern era of computers and the like. Where it differs, of course, is in the inclusion of a section of people who can work curses simply by touching you with their bare hands. In this book, we learn about emotion workers, body workers (who can break bones with a touch), luck workers, memory workers, dream workers, and two rarer groups: death workers and transformation workers. In the United States of this America, Working is a crime, which means that criminals do the Working - the top crime families (like the mob) all have big Worker populations. To protect oneself against "the touch," everyone wears gloves and you can buy amulets against curses along with a pack of smokes at the gas station, though there's no guarantee it'll be as good as one purchased from a psychic's tent at a dirt mall.

The Meat of the Story: Cassel Sharpe, youngest of three brothers in a Worker family, has no power of his own. His eldest brother, Philip, works for the Zacharov family, and bears a necklace of scars to prove it, which is likened to the Yakuza practice of counting prison years (look it up.) Three years ago, Cassel killed his friend Lila Zacharov, and now can only remember standing over her bloody body with a knife and a satisfied smile. Now, he's taking after his mother's con-man (con-woman) roots by running a numbers game out of his room at his private boarding school.
When he gets temporarily kicked out for sleepwalking, and sent home to work with his brothers and his retired death-worker Grandad, things start to spiral out of his control, and he finds that his life isn't what he thought it was.
What you’ll Love About It: It’s interspersed with great asides about what Cassel loves about the con, and enough background on the Workers and their history, so that you feel like even though this isn’t your world, you know enough about it that it makes sense to you. You’ll be drawn in by veteran writer Black, and eagerly await the other books in this series; the next is Red Glove, which is likely due out sometime next year.


Bonus: To advertise the books, the Curse Workers website offers banners like these, that might actually show up on billboards and subway signs in Cassel's world.

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Outside of a Dog, #93

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Contrary to popular culture there is and should be much more to our celebration of Memorial Day than a pile of circulars on the kitchen table highlighting local sales events. The following titles offer a wide variety of reading that may inspire, enlighten, or simply entertain you over this holiday weekend.

Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families - Andrew Carroll, Ed.

Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts this volume brings together a wide variety of eye witness accounts, letters, short stories, and other personal writings that form a dramatic narrative, illustrating in a very real sense the human side and cost of modern warfare.

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Forgotten Americans: Footnote Figures Who Changed American History - Willard Sterne Randall & Nancy Nahra

Fifteen fascinating but little known lives are explored and come to life in this well researched but very readable volume. From early colonial settlements to the close of the nineteenth century, the biographical selections presented here give us an engaging look at our nation’s past through the eyes and actions of very ordinary folks.

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Miracles on the Water: The Heroic Survivors of a World War II U-boat Attack - Tom Nagorski

On September 17, 1940 the British liner SS City of Benares was sailing across the North Atlantic with more than four hundred passengers, including ninety children. They were on their way to Canada attempting to escape the German blitz over England. When a German submarine torpedoed and sank the ship their terrifying ordeal was just beginning. This book is a vivid retelling of that fateful journey.

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An Album of Memories: Personal Histories from the Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw

History comes alive and is faithfully preserved in people’s own words, through oral histories, photographs, reflections, and memorabilia of Word War II. A collection of everyday Americans sharing their wartime experiences with one of our most trusted journalist.

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Herstory: Women Who Changed the World - Ruth Ashby & Deborah Gore Ohrn, Eds.

For years the achievements of many remarkable women have been largely forgotten or ignored by historians. The 120 biographical sketches presented here offer a remarkable look back at some very influential and important women who by their personal decisions, bravery, and actions have helped shape the lives of all women living today.

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Outside of a Dog, #92

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.

Outside of a Dog, #92

In memory of Rosalie Kowalski, January 1943 – May 2010.

Baby, let’s play house: Elvis Presley and the women who loved him – Alanna Nash

Elvis Presley had a magnetic personality, not to mention the draw of celebrity that made him appeal to women everywhere. In this gossipy bio, author Nash talks with the famous and not-so-famous alike to show the rock star’s charms and tell the story of his love life.

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The Elvis encyclopedia – Adam Victor

Comprehensive at the least, and exhaustive at the most, this encyclopedia has everything you’d want to know about the hip-swiveling singer. Devoted fans will love it!

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Elvis, Viva Las Vegas [CD]

Featuring remastered tracks ranging from the title to “See See Rider” and “The Impossible Dream,” this limited-edition CD has the best-sounding audio of the King.

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Elvis Presley, with profiles of Muddy Waters and Mick Jagger

A kids’ bio, this book is mostly bout Elvis, but has sidebars and info on the famous bluesman Muddy Waters, and the energetic rocker Mick Jagger, looking into how all three men inspired and encouraged each other.

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Me and a guy named Elvis – Jerry Schilling

Only a boy of 12 when he met Elvis (who was 19), Schilling describes in detail his life growing up with the legend. He later becomes part of the “Memphis Mafia” of friends Presley kept near and dear to him while his fame continued to grow, and talks candidly about the kind of movies and music the singer really wanted to make.

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Elvis, by the Presleys: Intimate Stories – Priscilla Presley

A family memoir more than anything, this book has stories, pictures of reminiscences of Elvis’ wife, his daughter, and other close family members.

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Elvis ’56

1956 was the year Elvis broke out into the world of music and gained recognition for his singing, dancing, and acting. This video of performances taped in between January 1956 and September 1956 has an hour of previously unaired footage, and the accompanying CD has all of the tracks, as well.

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King Creole [VHS]

Elvis’ third and final movie shot only in black-and-white (the first was 1956’s “Love Me Tender”), he plays a rough-and-tumble teenager who has to drop out of school to help out his father. He becomes a singer for the money, and gets caught up in mob ties along the way.

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Outside of a Dog, #91

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Martha Graham, famed dancer and choreographer, was born today in 1894. If you’ve ever felt like just getting up and dancing, these books are for you!

Blood Memory – Martha Graham

Graham’s own autobiography follows her life from her upbringing in Pennsylvania through her desire to dance and create dances for the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance and the first generation of the Batsheva Dance Company in Israel.

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Frontiers of Dance: The life of Martha Graham - Walter Terry

Part of the juvenile “Women in America” series, this book has lots of information on Time’s “Dancer of the Century.” While Graham preferred not to call what she did “modern” dance, many sources list her additions to the world of dance as exactly that.

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Cal Pozo’s learn to dance in minutes: Swing Medley – Cal Pozo

A former Broadway dancer, Pozo now makes videos of himself teaching dances, as well as produces DVDs of other dancers and fitness gurus, including Denise Austin, Kathy Smith, and Dancing with the Stars. Here, he takes the viewer through the 40s swing style, which made a comeback in the late 90s, and has continued to be popular since the re-emergence of bands like the Brian Setzer Orchestra and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

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The dance encyclopedia – Anatole Chujoy

Featuring a comprehensive look at many styles and cultures of dance from ballet to swing to modern and tap, and many others. If you want to know a little something about a lot of styles, or a lot about one particular style, check out this book!

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The nutcracker – Darci Kistler

One of the most famous ballets ever, this Christmas tale about Clara and the prince who was turned into a Nutcracker is a long-lasting fairy tale. The original story, written and scored by Tchaikovsky, was a little longer than the modern version seen now.

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We also carry Dance magazine and everybody’s favorite movie about dance: Dirty Dancing.

Outside of a Dog, #90

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.

Can you really tell the future just by looking at the lines on your palm or the positions of the stars in the sky? For hundreds of years, people have tried to divine what's coming next for them and their friends. If you'd like to give divination a try, here's a bunch of great books to look into!

The Only astrology book you'll ever need - Joanna Martine Woolfolk
Exactly as advertised, Woolfolk's book has been in publication since 1982, teaching people far and wide what their sun and moon signs are all about. She even shows you how to make out a birth chart - and gives examples.
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The Astrologer's handbook - Frances Sakoian
If you'd rather just take a quick peek into astrology, this is the book for you!
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Titania's book of numerology - Titania Hardie
Numerology is the practice of using numbers (usually the numbers of your birthdate, added together) to see your future and your personality quirks, and Titania Hardie is one of the foremost names in books like these.
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Numerology: the power in numbers - Ruth Drayer
Whereas Titania Hardie's book is a bit more modern and fun, this is a very basic primer on how numerology works.
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Hot Numbers: use numerology to discover what makes your lover, boss, friends, family, and you really tick! - Jean Simpson
Looking for love in all the wrong places? Jean Simpson will help you divine which numbers are best for you and why the ones that don't work, don't.
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Colorstrology: what your birthday color says about you - Michele Bernhardt
Blending astrology, numerology, and color theory, Michele Bernhardt's book is a whole new look into personality and individuality.
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Complete guide to palmistry - Batia Shorek
Palmistry traces its roots back to India, China, and the Roma people, who looked at the lines and mounds on a person's hands, and were able to divine the length of a life and how lucky in love they'd be.
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Using the runes - D. Jason Cooper
Runic divination, used by the Norse for thousands of years, involves carving symbols onto bone, stone, or other weighted items, then throwing them and seeing which come up.
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Fortune-telling by tarot cards - Sasha Fenton
Of course, tarot cards are one of the most famous and popular methods of telling futures and fortunes, and this book will show you how.
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Outside of a Dog, #89

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.

It’s not too early to be thinking about summer vacation, and the library has a large travel section with a wide variety of travel books, pamphlets, and guides. Listed below are titles that are just a little bit out of the ordinary.


Insiders’ Guide: Fun with the Family in Ohio - Zimmeth, Khristi S
Can’t afford a “big” vacation this summer? How about going just a little bit south of the Michigan border? This book gives readers a lot of doable suggestions for kid friendly places, many of which are quite inexpensive or even free.
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50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America - Bond, Marybeth
Several information-packed chapters make up this entertaining guide to women’s travel by best-selling travel expert Marybeth Bond. The trip choices are varied and cover everything from a weekend in New York City to an arts festival in Savannah. Although those two suggestions may sound expensive, she also recommends a lot of destinations that are quite affordable.
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Kids Love Interstate 75: A Family Travel Guide for Exploring the Best Kid-Tested Places Along I-75 from Michigan to Florida - Zavatsky. George and Michele
Travel minutes off the interstate to explore a wide variety of attractions, events, restaurants, parks, museums, and attractions. You can make a vacation out of just driving to your vacation!
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Michigan Family Field Trips: Fun Sites for Kids - Field, Ellyce
Don’t let the title fool you, this book has a lot to offer for anyone at any age. Lots of traditional spots like Mackinac Island, Soo Locks, and Cranbook but also lots of hidden gems such as The Scrap Box, Windmill Island, and The Fridge are highlighted. Another helpful feature is that the author recommends a good place to eat as well as a related but close by “field trips”.
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Eyewitness Travel: Canada - Bishop, Bruce
Publishing powerhouse DK (Dorling Kindersley) is best known for it's Eyewitness series of illustrated children's books, informing on everything from Knights (Juv 940.1 G) to Astronomy (520 R). Here, the Eyewitness books take a new direction: travel! This book features many gorgeous full-color photos of our neighbor to the North, and lots of details on places to go and things to do.
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Outside of a Dog, #88

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx.

Did you know that Tuesday was named after the Norse god of victory Týr? Wednesday is after his slightly-more-famous comrade, Odin (Previously called Wodan, so Wednesday comes from Wodan’s Day), and Friday is Frigg’s Day (or Freyja’s Day). There are lots of other naming stories about the weekdays, in several cultures. This week, why not check out some mythology books and read up on everyday things named after great heroes?



Scandinavian Mythology – Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson
This edition is older than some, but presents a good look at Vikings and their lore for the common reader, rather than an academic’s eye. Check this out if you want a few good stories and a place to start from regarding Odin, Freyja, and their kin.
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Bulfinch’s Mythology: The Age of Fable, the Age of Chivalry, Legends of Charlemagne – Thomas Bulfinch
The go-to guide for myth is Thomas Bulfinch’s guide, which begins with coverage of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, with a side trip into Germanic tribe stories, then a chapter on King Arthur, and a chapter on the first great French Emperor Charlemagne. There’s so much information here, it can be hard to swallow, but start with the short story Prometheus and Pandora (about the legend of Pandora’s Box), and the stories will move quickly to the end.
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The Stories of Life: Six Greek Myths, Retold – Cynthia Rylant
Newbery winner Rylant (she won in 1993 for Missing May and has been writing since 1982) presents the stories of Pandora, Persephone, Orpheus, Pygmalion, Narcissus, and Psyche in this audio, read by repeat audiobook voice Alyssa Bresnahan. While this is intended and suitable for children 6-11, adults can also enjoy these tales.
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American Indian Myths and Legends – Richard Erdoes
American Indians have some of the most important and revered myths in the world. This book showcases the "oral history" style – stories told from one person to another, handed down over years. Inside, there’s Trickster tales, creation myths, and tribe-specific stories.
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The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) – Rick Riordan
We’ve reviewed the Lightning Thief here before, and it’s become even more popular now that there’s a theatrical release movie about the demigod boy who might just save Olympus. Start here and follow the hero’s journey through five other novels; and, if you enjoy Riordan’s amusing style, look forward to the Kane Chronicles, due out in May, for a twist on Egyptian mythology.
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Odd and the Frost Giants – Neil Gaiman
It’s no surprise that we’re big fans of National Library Week Honorary Chair Neil Gaiman here at the libraries. This short novella, written for the UK’s World Book Day in 2008, was sold for $1 to promote the charity Book Aid International, and released stateside shortly after. Here, young Norse boy Odd (whose name isn’t "strange or unusual...not in that time or place") goes on a journey to save three tricked Norse Gods from the frost giants. While it’s a short story, it showcases the author’s unique myth-telling talent and sense of fun.
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electronic resource (WPL) - Adobe EPUB eBook

The Business of Fancydancing – Sherman Alexie
Sherman Alexie is the first name to come up in many discussions of modern Native American storytellers. Probably most famous for his short story collection The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, and the movie, "Smoke Signals" that followed, the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene author has been writing for a number of years. His classic humor about the Native American lifestyle, both traditional and contemporary, is well worth reading.
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Outside of a Dog, #87

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Butch Cassidy, known for his membership in both the Wild Bunch and the Hole in the Wall Gang, was born today in 1866. The Warren Public Libraries and the Suburban Library Cooperative have lots of books and movies on the Western way - come on in and see what you'd like to ride away with!

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford (1969)
This wild ride of a movie, now more than 40 years old, is a classic Western that has never lost popularity. Newman plays the role of Butch as a visionary, plotting heists and robbing banks for fun and profit, and Redford, as the gun-toting Sundance Kid, evens out the outlaw's crazy plans.
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The Outlaw Trail: a history of Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch - Charles Kelly
The Outlaw Trail was a string of places throughout the western States that provided cover, shelter and hideout for the Wild Bunch and many other bandits, and author Kelly brings these places to life in this book.
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The Authentic Life of Billy, the kid: the noted desperado of the Southwest, whose deeds and daring and blood made his name a terror in New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico - Pat F. Garrett
As if the impressive title weren't enough to convince you, outlaw Billy the Kid was one impressively bad villain. Read here about his many jobs, cons, and shootouts as he escaped the law time after time... until the author of this book, Sheriff and Billy's killer, caught up to him.
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Women of the West - Dorothy Levenson
Butch, Billy, the Sundance Kid and the Tall Texan weren't the only desperadoes who lived for the thrill of the kill and the money that came with it. Here, Levenson talks about these outlaws' female counterparts, including Calamity Jane, Belle Starr, and Laura Bullion.
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Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour - Louis L'Amour
Few authors are as well-known for Westerns as L'Amour, who, at the time, called his work "frontier stories." Throughout his life (and after his death in 1988), L'Amour published more than 100 novels, including nonfiction and short story collections like this one.
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Best Western Stories of John Jakes - John Jakes
Best known for his long sagas like North and South and the Kent Family Chronicles, Jakes rivals L'Amour for popularity among Western authors, though in a different way. While L'Amour's work tended to be about the outlaws, Jakes preferred to tell about families and the Civil War. Give this a read and see which style of adventure you prefer.
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Outside of a Dog, #86

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Income tax forms are due to the government next week, and lots of people are still rushing to figure and fill them out! If you're one of those taxpayers who rushes to the post office to get it mailed by midnight, one of these books may be for you!


J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2009 - J.K. Lasser Institutes
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Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep what you earn - Stephen Fishman
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J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2008 - J.K. Lasser Institutes
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Taxe$ for Dummie$ - Eric Tyson
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New Rules for Estate and Tax Planning - J.K. Lasser Institutes
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Complete Idiot's Guide to Tax Deductions - Lisa Collins
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Remember, if you need a tax form and just can't find it, a reference librarian can print one out for you.

Outside of a Dog, #85

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Spring and fall traditionally find a lot of new books hitting the bookstore as well as library shelves. Some pretty big names are offering up a wide variety of titles to entice readers. It may be too early to find these titles in the library database but check back because they are sure to be “on order” very soon. (As soon as a book is cataloged as "on-order," you can place a hold on it.)

Oprah: A Biography by Kitty Kelley
Kitty Kelley has written biographies about Nancy Reagan, the Royal family, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie O, and the Bushes. Here she turns her attention to one of the most influential media personalities of our time. Coming in at 544 pages it is sure to fascinate Oprah’s many fans.
On order at CHE MTC


This Time Together: Laughter and Reflections by Carol Burnett
One of our most enduring and talented performers gives us a selection of essays and stories about her life, career, and personal philosophy through an entertaining look back.
On order at SCS SHL

Family Ties by Danielle Steel
After dozens upon dozens of fiction best sellers Steel still manages to command a devoted audience. In this story, a young woman unexpectedly becomes a mother to her sister’s three small children. Now all grown up, each child has chosen a different career path but through it all the family ties established years ago have remained in place.
On order at RSV

61 Hours: A Reacher Novel by Lee Child
A bus accident puts Reacher in a South Dakota burg, where a single but reluctant witness is the only hope that the police have in prosecuting a vicious crime ring. One cop decides that Reacher is the only one that can be trusted and together they hatch a plot to bring the criminals to justice.
On order at SHL EPL RSV CHE

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
This is a novel about a suburban family and the unintended but devastating consequences of what at the moment seemed like small and insignificant events but instead turned out to be profoundly life changing.
On order at SBL RSV CHE

Additional new titles to anticipate include:
The 9th Judgment by James Patterson (Women's Murder Club)
Deliver Us from Evil by David Baldacci
Storm Prey by John Sandford (The Prey Series)
Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum)
The Search by Nora Roberts

Outside of a Dog, #84

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Who doesn’t enjoy a good musical? The popularity of the television series Glee attests to the fact that although the old fashioned musical may have faded in popularity there is definitely still an audience out there that enjoys singing and dancing in almost any context.

The library has a collection of musicals on DVD, all available for a 21 day checkout.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music

This enduring musical recently celebrated its 40^th anniversary. It won five Academy Awards including the coveted Best Picture of the Year. The DVD includes a wide variety of special features and background information that will interest almost any fan of the movie.

DVD 782.81 Sound WCV WAM WMB

South Pacific

Another big hit by Rodgers and Hammerstein, South Pacific has had many successful adaptations from the Pulitzer Prize winning book by James Michener over the years. This DVD features Glenn Close and Harry Connick, Jr. in the starring roles. Enjoy the fun and adventure of this timeless story that has enchanted audiences for many years.

DVD 782.81 South WCV

DVD South WAM

Flashdance

It may not qualify as a traditional or old fashioned musical but Flashdance certainly inspired a generation to dance. Its highly improbable plot is carried along by an electrifying mix of music, drama, and dance that dazzles viewers as well as touches their hearts.

DVD 782.81 Flashdance WCV FRA SCS RSV

Chicago

Another movie that reignited moviegoers’ passion for the musical is this delight from 2002. Starring actors and actresses one doesn’t immediately think of as singers turns this story of 1920s murderesses into a big-budget-multi-award-winning fantasy.

DVD 782.91 Chicago WCV

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History: The 1950’s The Golden Era of the Musical

DVD 781.82 H WCV

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History: Musicals that Rocked’n’Rolled

DVD 781.82 WCV

Both these documentary musicals are entertaining as well as educational to watch. The 1950’s includes movies such as An American in Paris, Singin’ In the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Oklahoma, and Carousel.

Musicals that Rocked ‘n’ Rolled includes Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Blues Brothers, The Rose, Hair, Tommy, and many others concluding with High School Musical.

And if you're enamored with Glee and its fantastic cast, we also have the soundtracks available on CD.

Outside of a Dog, #83

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

On this day (March 9) in 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte, then just a young general, married Josephine de Beauharnais, a wealthy Frenchwoman from a Creole family. She became the Empress-Consort when Napoleon was named Emperor in 1804. In honor of the scandalous military man, we bring you books about France and it's history:

One hundred days: Napoleon's road to Waterloo - Alan Schon
Escaping from his exile on the Italian island of Elba, Napoleon made quick moves and sudden plans to meet the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo. Though history shows he failed here, this book explains the timeline of the exiled Emperor.
Bio Napoleon WAM

Josephine: a life of the Empress - Carolly Erickson
Napoleon married Josephine because of her connections. He had great ambition, and she had a sordid past. He renamed her (her given name was Rose) and wrote her love letters, many of which still exist today. Unfortunately, her past caught up with her, and the Emperor, too.
Bio Josephine WDB

The Passion - Jeanette Winterson
"You play, you win, you play, you lose. You play."
Set during Napoleon's era, The Passion tells the tale of Henri, a young chef who marches with the army and cooks chicken for the emperor-to-be. Henri falls in love with a girl named Villanelle, and in the lyrical style that only an author like Winterson has mastered, learns the meaning of both love and passion.
Fic (Storage) MTC

Chocolat - Joanne Harris
This charming novel set in the French countryside sets up a mother and daughter who travel "when the wind blows" from place to place. Vianne starts a sinful chocolate shop in the middle of a small town that has both problems and prejudices, not to mention a very strong Catholic presence, and learns many things about herself, her life, and her daughter.
You can also check out the sequel to Chocolat, written from three different points of view and set 4 years after, called The Girl With No Shadow.
Fiction Harris HPW EPL

A moveable feast - Ernest Hemingway
In the 1920s, Ernest Hemingway lived in Paris with his first wife, Hadley. Here is his slim biography/novella about living on little money and much fascination. This book was published posthumously in 1964.
BKD 818.52 H WMB

Outside of a Dog, #82

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Even though the Olympics have concluded you can still enjoy sports via some interesting sports biographies…..here is a sampling of several titles available at our branch as well as other libraries in the library cooperative.

A Champion’s Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis by Pete Sampras

Sampras is arguably the greatest tennis player ever, a man whose dedication to the sport made it possible for him to achieve a record-setting fourteen Grand Slam titles. Here he shares his own story of his success and well as a behind the scenes look at the sport of tennis.

Bio Sampras WCV SHL SCS CHE SBL

A Golfer’s Life by Arnold Palmer

The name Arnold Palmer is synonymous with golf. The winner of sixty-one tournaments on the PGA Tour and still active on the Senior PGA tour, Palmer pens a biography with insight, compassion, humor, and candor as he looks back on his highly distinguished career in golf.

Bio Palmer WCV WAM SHL RSV HPW MTC

Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life by Tony Dungy

Named Coach of the Year in 2007, Tony Dungy made history as the first African American coach to win a Super Bowl title. In this entertaining memoir Tony gives football fans a look at the personal as well as professional obstacles he overcame to achieve success in the world of professional football.

Bio Dungy WCV WDB UPL SHL MPL

Bode: Go Fast, Be Good, Have Fun by Bode Miller

Published in 2005 this book gives readers a look back at the life and career of brash American skier Bode Miller. Bode’s approach to life and his skiing career may not be conventional but it is none the less an entertaining and inspiring story for fans of skiing.

Bio Bode WCV MCL SHL

Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History by Jeremy Schaas

During the Great Depression years, boxer James J. Braddock was a champion many times over form Hell's Kitchen, in New York. In 1929, Braddock fractured his right hand (his dominant fighting hand) and his amazing, winning record fell to pieces. He gave up on boxing briefly to work as a longshoreman, gradually strengthening his left hand in the process. In 1935, Braddock, a 10-to-1 underdog, earned the heavyweight boxing title versus Max Baer, and the more colloquial title "Cinderella Man." This inspirational book (and the movie patterned after it) is a great tale of sports fame.

796.83 S WMB

Bio Braddock WCV

Cinderella Man

Starring: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko

Starring: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko, Bruce McGill, Paddy Considine

Directed by: Ron Howard

VC Biog Braddock WCV

DVD C77 WAM