Westwood Library 02090

ISLINGTON BRANCH BOOK SHARE

2011-11-22T12:28:00.001-08:00

Books we enjoyed and discussed at our most recent meeting, November 15, 2011.

FICTION :

At Home In Mitford / Jan Karon

Before I Go To Sleep / S. J. Watson

Christmas Wedding / James Patterson

Firefly Lane / Kristen Hannah

Island / Elin Hilderbrand

Lantern / Debra Lorenson

Litigators / John Grisham

Midwives / Chris Bohjalian

Only Time Will Tell / Jeffrey Archer

Things We Cherished / Pam Jenoff

MYSTERY :

Copper river / William Kent Krueger

Saturday big tent wedding party / Alexander McCall Smith

Scones and bones / Laura Child

NON-FICTION :

Paula Deen : it ain’t all about the cookin / Paula Deen

BOOK SHARE

Legal thriller series set in Italy

NEXT BOOK SHARE MEETING

JANUARY 24, 2012 at 10.30 a.m.

Boston Consumers’ Checkbook

2011-11-22T10:06:00.001-08:00

A great source for ratings and advice on local companies and services

The latest edition (Fall 2011-winter 2012) is now available in the Consumer reference area of the Westwood Library.

In this issue read about the Best (and worst) auto repair shops in the Boston area.

Take a look at previous issues for topics such as : Top doctors in the Boston area (spring-summer 2011) ; best plumbers (fall 2009-winter 2010) etc.

Stephanie Plum is back !

2011-11-22T07:23:00.001-08:00

“Explosive eighteen” is the latest story in this-long running series by best selling author JANET EVANOVICH. Once again, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum finds herself in trouble.

The movie of the first title in the series “One for the money” will be released on January 22, 2012. Stephanie Plum will be portrayed by actress Katherine Heigl.

Don't miss “BOY IN THE SUITCASE”

2011-11-14T08:32:00.001-08:00

An exciting new crime thriller by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis

“The first installment in the long-running Danish bestselling series featuring Red Cross nurse Nina Borg, finalist for the coveted Scandinavian Glass Key crime fiction award, now finally available in English”

GIANRICO CAROFIGLIO – best-selling author of crime thrillers from Italy

2011-11-02T08:12:00.001-07:00

Meet Bari defense lawyer Guido Guerrieri, in this best-selling series by Gianrico Carofiglio, an anti-Mafia prosecutor from Southern Italy.

Involuntary witness
A Walk in the dark
Reasonable doubts
Temporary perfections (2011)

TONY HILLERMAN PRIZE WINNER

2011-10-27T09:51:00.001-07:00

Awarded annually to a first-time author of a mystery set in the Southwestern United States.

THE 2010 award winner is :

THE TERRITORY by TRICIA FIELDS

A small town in Texas caught up in the turf battles of the Mexican drug runners

Something for everyone – a selection of NEW NON-FICTION in the Westwood Library

2011-10-27T09:28:00.001-07:00

The 50 funniest American writers / Andy Borowitz 817.08 Borowitz

The Battle of the tanks : Kursk, 1943 / Lloyd Clark 940.54 Clark

Great by choice : uncertainty, chaos, and luck – why some thrive despite them all / Jim Collins 658.4 Collins

Your medical mind : how to decide what is right for you / Jerome Groopman 610 Groopman

Thinking, fast and slow / Daniel Kahneman 153.42 Kahneman

The magnificent Medills : America’s Royal family of journalism during a century of turbulent splendor / Megan McKinney BIOG Medill

Why read Moby Dick ? / Nathaniel Philbrick 813.3 Philbrick

Entreleadership : 20 years of practical business wisdom from the trenches / Dave Ramsey 658.4 Ramsey

A Thousand lives : the untold story of hope, deception, and survival at Jonestown / Julia Scheeres 289.9 Scheeres

Jerusalem : the biography / Simon Sebag Montefiore 956.94 Sebag Montefiore

Just published

ANOTHER BESTSELLER FROM JOHN GRISHAM

2011-10-25T09:55:00.001-07:00

Released today :

LITIGATORS

Released today– two topical political books

READING GROUP CHOICES 2012

2011-10-20T08:44:00.001-07:00

Selections for lively book discussions

Now available at the Westwood Library – the latest selection of books suggested for book groups. Check out the circulating copy (374.22 Reading) or consult the Reference Copy at the Reference desk

In 2011 thousands of book groups were asked about their favorite books. Here is a list of the top ten titles :

The Help / Kathryn Stockett
Cutting for stone / Abraham Verghese
Sarah’s key / Tatiana de Rosnay
Still Alice / Lisa Genova
The Book thief / Markus Zusak
The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society / Mary Ann Shaffer
Hotel on the corner of Bitter and Sweet / Jamie Ford
The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks
The Girl with the dragon tattoo / Stieg Larsson
Little bee / Chris Cleave

For more information on Reading Group Choices :

on the web : ReadingGroupChoices.com (link on this page)

on the blog : OntheBookcase.com

on Facebook : Reading Group Choices Fan Page

On Twitter : @ReadingGChoices

Released today– two topical political books

2011-09-20T07:38:00.001-07:00

The Rogue : searching for the real Sarah Palin / Joe McGinniss 973.931 McGinniss

Confidence men : Wall Street, Washington, and the education of a President / Ron Suskind 330.973 Suskind

EXCITING FICTION DEBUT – author lives in Massachusetts

2011-09-14T13:09:00.001-07:00

This book is getting lots of attention , great reviews and a movie deal ! Featured in “g living”, Boston Globe, Tuesday, September 13. See for yourself.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

INSPECTOR WEXFORD COMES OUT OF RETIREMENT

2011-09-14T12:53:00.001-07:00

“The Vault” by Ruth Rendell is the sequel to the author’s classic 1998 book “A Sight for sore eyes”.

Former Chief Inspector Wexford is persuaded out of retirement to assist the London police on an unsolved murders case in “The Vault”.

Noir Fiction San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO 1940

2011-09-14T09:43:00.001-07:00

Private Detective Miranda Corbie returns in Kelli Stanley’s “CITY OF SECRETS, an enthralling mystery and sequel to “CITY OF DRAGONS.”

Published in 2010, “City of Dragons” was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. “City of secrets" is already receiving high praise.

The author is an award-winning author of crime fiction.

Have you read a Charlie Parker thriller ?

2011-09-08T09:27:00.001-07:00

International best- selling author JOHN CONNOLLY has written another exciting story featuring former policeman / P.I. Charlie Parker.

First introduced in 1999 in Every dead thing, Maine P.I. Charlie Parker returns in the Burning Soul, tenth in the series.

John Connolly was born in Dublin, Ireland and now divides his time between Ireland and the United States. He has also written various stand-alone novels.

Charlie Parker series :

Every dead thing (1999) ; Dark hollow ; The Killing kind ; The White road ; The Reflecting eye ; The Black angel ; The Unquiet ; The Reapers ; The Lovers ; The Whisperers ; The Burning soul (2011)

The return of Chet and Bernie

2011-09-08T08:53:00.001-07:00

If you enjoyed meeting author Spencer Quinn

during his Westwood Library visit in April 2010, you may wish to read the latest entry in his popular mystery series featuring canine narrator Chet and his human companion, Private Eye Bernie Little.

“The Dog who knew too much” is the fourth title in the series.

Advance praise for an exciting new thriller

2011-08-30T08:15:00.001-07:00

“The Stranger you seek”

by Amanda Kyle Williams is receiving rave reviews, not only for an exciting crime story but the debut of a flawed and fascinating heroine, Keye Street. The author is already writing the second thriller in this series, “The Stranger in the room.”

Another bestseller from Jeffrey Archer

2011-08-30T07:51:00.001-07:00

“Only time will tell” is the first volume in the new series “The Clifton Chronicles”. Already a bestseller in other countries, five volumes are planned, telling the story of one family over several generations.

RETURN TO AFRICA

2011-08-23T07:54:00.001-07:00

Following the success of her memoir of growing up white in the changing landscape and unrest of rural Central and South Africa in the seventies and eighties :

“Don’t let’s go to the dogs tonight : an african childhood” (968.91 Fuller, 2002)

Alexandra Fuller returns to Africa to recount the story of her family, in particular, that of her mother Nicola in :

“Cocktail hour under the tree of forgetfulness” (968.91 Fuller, 2011)

“Don’t let’s go to the dogs tonight” was a national bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book of 2002, a finalist for the Guardian First Book award and as chosen the Booksense best Non-fiction book of the year 2002.” (“Scribbling the cat” bookjacket)

Alexandra Fuller also wrote “ Scribbling the cat : travels with an African soldier”, an account of the civil war in Rhodesia and the aftermath. (968.9404 Fuller, 1994)

ANOTHER EXCITING STORY FROM C.J. BOX

CONTROVERSIAL NEW BOOK ON COCO CHANEL

2011-08-18T06:38:00.001-07:00

“Sleeping with the enemy : Coco Chanel’s secret war ”

by Hal Vaughan.

Published on Tuesday, August 16, this new book is already causing quite a stir in France. Four years of research went into the book, which discusses the activities of Coco Chanel during World War II. Hal Vaughan is a Paris-based American journalist and historian.

ANOTHER EXCITING STORY FROM C.J. BOX

2011-08-09T13:49:00.001-07:00

Author of the ‘Joe Pickett” novels, C.J. Box returns with another suspenseful stand-alone story.

If you enjoyed reading his very exciting thriller, “BLUE HEAVEN'’ by Box, check out this new release “BACK of BEYOND'”

NEW BOOKS – gaining in popularity !

2011-08-04T08:43:00.001-07:00

Maine / J. Courtney Sullivan
Paris wife / Paula McLain
Before I go to sleep / S.J. Watson
Rules of civility / Amor Towles
Close your eyes / Amanda Eyre Ward

Great new titles

Westwood Library TOP TEN REQUESTS – August 2011

2011-08-03T09:03:00.001-07:00

FICTION or MYSTERY

State of wonder / Ann Patchett

Kill me if you can / James Patterson

Maine / J. Courtney Sullivan

Litigators / John Grisham

Smokin’ seventeen / Janet Evanovich

The Paris wife / Paula McLain

Full black / Brad Thor

Cold vengeance / Douglas Preston

The Hypnotist / Lars Kepler

Then came you / Jennifer Weiner

NON-FICTION

Bossypants / Tina Fey

Incognito : the secret lives of the brain / David Eagleman

Hitman : the untold story of Johnny Martorano, Whitey Bulger’s enforcer / Howie Carr

The Greater journey : Americans in Paris, 1830-1900 / David McCullough

Heaven is for real / Todd Burpo

Unbroken : a World War II story of survival and redemption / Laura Hillenbrand

SEAL Team Six / Howard Wasdin

In the garden of beasts : love, terror, and an American family in Hitler’s Berlin / Erik Larson

Render unto Rome: the secret life of money in the Catholic Church / Jason Berry

The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks / Rebecca Skloot

ISLINGTON BRANCH BOOK SHARE

2011-08-03T08:04:00.001-07:00

A selection of books we enjoyed at our meeting on July 12

The school of essential ingredients by Erica Bauermeister FICTION (2009)

Five fortunes by Beth Gutcheon FICTION (1998)

The Mermaid Garden by Santa Montefiore FICTION (2011)

Friendship bread by Darien Gee FICTION (2011)

The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson MYSTERY (2011)

Secret daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda FICTION (2010)

Under current conditions by Kyle Darcy FICTION (2010)

The Given day by Dennis Lehane, Cutting for stone by Abraham Verghese and Hotel on the corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford were also popular with members of the group.

NEXT BOOK SHARE : September 13 at 10 a.m

NEW BOOK ON RUFUS PORTER MURALS

2011-06-30T07:14:00.001-07:00

Folk Art murals of the Rufus Porter School : New England landscapes 1825 – 1845 by Linda Carter Lefko

Information on the Rufus Porter murals in Westwood is included in this new book. This beautiful book was purchased with funds from the Marie E. Sautter Memorial.

SAUTTER 751.73 LEFKO 2011.

Hot summer reads

2011-06-21T11:19:00.001-07:00

Great beach reading – released today.

Smokin’ seventeen / Janet Evanovich New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is back

Buried secrets / Joseph Finder Nick Heller on the trail of ruthless kidnappers

The American heiress / Daisy Goodwin. An American heiress enters joins the British aristocracy

Silver girl / Elin Hilderbrand A Nantucket setting for this very popular author

The Hypnotist / Lars Kepler. International best seller

The Devil colony / James Rollins. At last, release of the new Sigma Force novel

White shotgun / April Smith Special Agent Ana Grey returns

DISCOVER CRIME WRITER JO NESBO

2011-05-26T08:31:00.001-07:00

If you read the Stieg Larsson trilogy and appreciate other excellent Scandinavian thriller writers, you must read Jo Nesbo’s award-winning crime series featuring anti-hero police investigator HARRY HOLE.

Some titles in the Harry Hole series have yet to be released in the U.S. Surely only a matter of time before this happens, following the success of his latest thriller “The Snowman.”

Set primarily in Oslo, The Snowman is #7 in the Harry Hole series. Others in the series already published in the U.S. are : The Redbreast #3 ; Nemesis # 4 ; and Devil’s star #5

ANOTHER BESTSELLER FROM DAVID McCULLOUGH

2011-05-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

“The Greater Journey : Americans in Paris”

920 McCullough

Released today - The story of those adventurous Americans who went to Paris in the years between 1830-1900.

New thrillers from favorite authors

2011-05-10T13:13:00.001-07:00

A Time for patriots / Dale Brown. Homegrown insurgency in the U.S.A.

Lucas Davenport returns in : Buried prey / John Sandford.

Those in peril / Wilbur Smith. Modern day piracy on the high seas.

ANOTHER BESTSELLER FROM ERIK LARSON

2011-05-10T13:00:00.001-07:00

Following the success of “Thunderstruck” ; “The devil in the White City” and “Isaac’s storm”, best-selling author ERIK LARSON returns with yet another well-researched and remarkable story set in Berlin during Hitler’s rise to power. 943.086 Larson

“In the garden of beasts : love, terror and an American family in Hitler’s Berlin.”

New true crime book from Howie Carr

2011-04-26T08:19:00.001-07:00

HITMAN : the untold story of Johnny Martorano : Whitey Bulger’s enforcer and the most feared gangster in the underworld.

364.152 Carr

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE SAUTTER ART COLLECTION

2011-04-26T08:12:00.001-07:00

Two beautiful books of local interest are now available in the Sautter Art Collection at the main library

“The Genius of Renoir : paintings from the Clark” by John House, showcases the private collection of Sterling Clark. These paintings form part of the collection at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Masachusetts. SAUTTER 759.4 House

“Golden : Dutch and Flemish masterworks from the Rose-Marie and Eijk Van Otterloo collection by Frederik J. Duparc accompanies the exhibition of the same name now on display at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem until June 19, 2011. SAUTTER 759.492 Duparc

The Sautter Art Collection is funded by the Sautter family in memory of Marie E. Sautter.

BOSTON CONSUMERS’ CHECKBOOK

2011-03-30T17:02:00.001-07:00

Check out the latest edition of this magazine, helping you find the best services in the Boston area. In this issue :

TOP DOCTORS IN THE BOSTON AREA

Best and worst roofers ; Supermarket ratings ; Homeowners insurance.

You will find this issue and back issues in the CONSUMER REFERENCE section at the Main Library. Or, you may visit their website when in the Library. Ask the Reference Librarian for any assistance.

ISLINGTON BRANCH BOOK SHARE

2011-03-18T09:43:00.001-07:00

Books enjoyed at the Book Share.

Claire: Gone by Mo Hayder ; Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese

Maddi: Evening Ferry by Katherine Towler ; A Year Of Fog by Michelle Richmond

Mary H: Deliver Us From Evil by David Baldacci ; Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Mary C: Juliet by Anne Fortier

Mary L: The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig ; Fadeaway Girls by Martha Grimes ; Hell’s Corner by David Baldacci

Carolyn: Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny ; Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland ; Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia by Michael Korda

Nancy: Major Pettigrew”s Last Stand by Helen Simonson ; The Crashers by Dana Haynes

NEXT BOOK SHARE 5/17/11 AT 10 AM

MANGO LANGUAGES DATABASE

2011-03-05T13:32:00.001-08:00

It’s fast. It’s fun.

It’s available at the Library.

Go online to learn a language at the Westwood Public Library Language Learning Center.

Go to : www.westwoodlibrary.org

Click on electronic databases under Library resources (enter your Westwood Minuteman Library card number for access outside the library.) and scroll down the list of Westwood databases to

Mango is designed to equip you with conversational abilities from the very start. Whether you're learning how to order a pizza or ask when the game starts, Mango immerses you in real, everyday conversations in a wide variety of foreign languages. It also features ESL instruction in English, tailored for speakers of more than a dozen languages. Start learning right away or create a profile to track your progress.

JODY PICOULT AND MAEVE BINCHY NEW BOOKS

2011-03-01T11:57:00.001-08:00

Released today :

Minding Frankie / Maeve Binchy and Sing you home / Jodi Picoult

The PIONEER WOMAN – best-selling author Ree Drummond

2011-02-24T07:50:00.001-08:00

From the bustle of Los Angeles to life on a ranch in Oklahoma.

Ree Drummond began blogging in 2006 and now has an extremely popular website, www.ThePioneerWoman.com, where she shares recipes, describes her life and shows her photographs. She also has a best-selling cookbook and has just released her latest book about meeting her “Marlboro Man” and continuing her story of life in Oklahoma.

“The Pioneer woman cooks : recipes from an accidental country girl” 641.59 Drummond

“The Pioneer woman : black heels to tractor wheels : a love story” BIOG Drummond

WARREN BUFFETTS NEXT DOOR

2011-02-15T09:08:00.001-08:00

The World’s greatest investors you’ve never heard of and what you can learn from them / Matthew Schifrin 332.6 Schifrin

A look at everyday people who are successful investors. Learn about their rules for investing.

CINDERELLA ATE MY DAUGHTER

2011-02-15T08:48:00.001-08:00

Dispatches from the front lines of the new girlie-girl culture.

Bestselling author of “Schoolgirls : young women, self-esteem, and the confidence gap” , Peggy Orenstein returns with her new bestseller “Cinderella ate my daughter…”, a look at the influences young girls face. 305.23 Orenstein

“WAITING FOR SUPERMAN” Award winning documentary on public education released today.

2011-02-15T07:12:00.001-08:00

Winner 2010 audience award US documentary Sundance Film Festival and winner best documentary National Board of review, “Waiting for Superman” is now available on DVD.

DVD 371.01 Waiting

Reserve this & other new titles under “RESERVE A NEW DVD” link on this blog.

BEST OF THE BEST – the critics vote.

2011-02-11T08:53:00.001-08:00

PublishersMarketplace.com, a website for publishing professionals, has compiled a “BEST OF THE BEST 2010” list for fiction and non-fiction titles. Selections were based on over thirty lists from retailers, individual critics, newspapers, magazines and top publications. (Source : USA Today, Thursday, 12/30/2010)

FICTION :

Freedom / Jonathan Franzen

Room /Emma Donoghue

A Visit from the Goon Squad / Jennifer Egan

Super sad true love story / Gary Shteyngart

Faithful place / Tana French

Skippy dies / Paul Murray

(TIE at 7th ) Parrot and Olivier in America / Peter Carey ; The Imperfectionists / Tom Rachman

Matterhorn / Karl Marlantes

(TIE at 10th )To the end of the land / David Grossman ; The Thousand autumns of Jacob de Zoet / David Mitchell

NON-FICTION :

The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks / Rebecca Skloot

The Warmth of other suns : the epic story of America’s great migration / Isabel Wilkerson

(TIE at 3rd)) The Big Short / Michael Lewis ; Just kids / Patti Smith

(TIE at 5th) The Emperor of all maladies : a biography of cancer / Siddhartha Mukherjee ; Cleopatra : a life / Stacy Schiff

(TIE at 7th) Unbroken / Laura Hillenbrand ; The Possessed / Elif Batuman ; Let’s take the long way home / Gail Caldwell

Life / Keith Richards

TOP TEN FAVORITE BOOKS FOR DISCUSSION *

2011-02-11T08:02:00.001-08:00

* Here are the results of a 2010 survey of reading group leaders representing over 70,000 book group members who use Reading Group Choices. Want to know more ? Just click on “Reading Group Choices” to link to this interesting site. Reading Group Choices has been selecting discussible books since 1994. The Library also subscribes to their annual print copy of “Reading Group Choices”. 2011 edition now available.

1. The Help / Kathryn Stockett

2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society / Mary Ann Shaffer

3. Loving Frank / Nancy Horan

4. The Book thief / Markus Zusak

5. Olive Kitteridge / Elizabeth Stout

6. TIE : Still Alice / Lisa Genova & Sarah’s key / Tatiana de Rosnay

7. People of the book / Geraldine Brooks

8. Three cups of tea / Greg Mortenson (NON-FICTION)

9. The Shack / William P. Young

10. The Art of racing in the rain / Garth Stein

Westwood resident has featured article in AMERICAN HERITAGE magazine

2011-02-03T11:59:00.001-08:00

Maureen Taylor, historian and author, is an internationally known expert on photo identification. The current issue of American Heritage magazine features an article based on Maureen’s latest book : “The Last Muster : images of the Revolutionary War generation”, published in 2010 by Kent State University Press.

973.3 Taylor

See American heritage, winter 2011, volume 60 #4, pp. 26-29. for :

“ America’s first generation in photographs : these are the faces of the men and women who lived during the Revolutionary War and survived into the age of photography”

FICTION DEBUT from the author of KABUL BEAUTY SCHOOL

2011-01-28T12:07:00.001-08:00

After her best-selling memoir : KABUL BEAUTY SCHOOL : an American woman goes behind the veil (305.48, 2007), Deborah Rodriguez now makes her fiction debut with A CUP OF FRIENDSHIP. Returning again to Afghanistan, it is the story of a coffee shop and the people who frequent it.

Islington Branch Book Share

2011-01-28T11:48:00.001-08:00

A mixed bag of books from the January 25 meeting :

Selections from Claire : Bury your dead by Louise Penny. MYSTERY (2010) ; The Good daughters by Joyce Maynard FICTION (2010) ; and The House at Riverton by Kate Morton FICTION (2008)

Eileen enjoyed : Unbroken : a World War II story of survival…by Lauren Hillenbrand 940.5472 Hillenbrand (2010)

Mary selected titles by British authors : The Shooting in the shop by Simon Brett MYSTERY (2010) & Forbidden places by Penny Vincenzi FICTION (1995)

Marie read The Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez FICTION (2010) and Maddi chose Time is a river by Mary Alice Monroe FICTION (2008)and Left neglected by Lisa Genova FICTION (2011)

Carol was busy with Little bee by Chris Cleave FICTION (2009) and an earlier title Incendiary (2005), She also enjoyed two lighter selections Legacy by Danielle Steel and Whiplash by Catherine Coulter.

Finally, Donna chose Major Pettigrew’s last stand by Helen Simonson FICTION (2010)

NEXT BOOK SHARE DATE : March 15 at 10 a.m.

Have you heard about this controversial and much talked about new book ?

2011-01-25T11:48:00.001-08:00

Battle hymn of the tiger mother / Amy Chua

A candid look at parenting in a Chinese-American family.

306.8743 Chua

NEW DVDS - RELEASED TODAY

2011-01-25T09:36:00.001-08:00

Downton Abbey

The Girl who kicked the hornet’s nest

Inspector Bellamy (French, English subtitles)

MI-5 season 8

Nowhere Boy

Red

Secretariat

Westwood residents - reserve a copy today – click on the specific title under “Reserve a new DVD”

The PINK CARNATION series

2011-01-20T10:53:00.001-08:00

A new episode in the the Pink Carnation series is here ! Intrigue, espionage, & romance feature in these books that have attracted an extremely loyal following. Lauren Willing is the best-selling author of the Pink Carnation series. A graduate of Harvard University and Law School, she now writes full time.

Volumes in the series : The Secret history of the pink carnation ; The Masque of the Black Tulip ; The Deception of the Emerald Ring ; The Seduction of the Crimson Rose ; The Temptation of the Night Jasmine ; The Betrayal of the Blood Lily ; and the latest volume, published in January 2011 : The Orchid Affair

DISCOVER MATT ROYAL & author H. Terrell Griffin

2011-01-20T10:31:00.001-08:00

Often compared to John D. MacDonald but not widely known, H. Terrell Griffin is the author of a great mystery series featuring Matt ROYAL, a retired trial lawyer turned Florida beach bum. You will find his books in the MYSTERY section at the Library.

Longboat Blues (2005 ) ; Blood Island 2008) ; Wyatt’s revenge (2009) ; Bitter legacy (2011)

Interesting new biographies

2011-01-19T09:22:00.001-08:00

American Rose : a nation laid bare : the life and times of Gypsy Rose Lee / Karen Abbott BIOG. Lee

The Memory Place : a memoir / Mira Bartok. A very personal look at life for two sisters with a mentally ill mother BIOG. Bartok

Franklin and Eleanor : an extraordinary marriage / Hazel Rowley BIOG Roosevelt

Great cookbooks for families on the go !

2011-01-19T09:14:00.001-08:00

The Cleaner Plate Club : more than 100 recipes for real food your kids will love / Beth Bader & Ali Benjamin 641.5 Bader

SOS! the six o’clock scramble to the rescue : earth-friendly, kid-pleasing dinners for busy families / Aviva Goldfarb

Six o’clock scramble : quick, healthy and delicious dinner recipes for busy families / Aviva Goldfarb 641.5 Goldfarb

Great ingredients, wonderful spices !

2011-01-13T11:56:00.001-08:00

Power foods : 150 delicious recipes with the 38 healthiest ingredients / from the editors of Whole Living magazine. Foreword by Martha Stewart 641.56 Power

Healing spices : how to use 50 everyday and exotic spices to boost health and beat disease / Bharat B. Aggarwal 615.321 Aggarwal

Thrillers and chillers – hot off the press

2011-01-11T12:31:00.001-08:00

The Vaults / Toby Ball

The Sentry / Robert Crais

Khan : Empire of silver / Conn Iggulden

The Inner circle / Brad Meltzer

The Border Lords / T. Jefferson Parker

and an old favorite : TRUE GRIT / Charles Portis

His most famous novel , first published in 1968 became the basis for two movies, the John Wayne classic of 1969 and now a new 2010 version.

REGIONAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY Boston area

2011-01-07T13:43:00.001-08:00

The 2011 edition of the Dun and Bradstreet Regional Business Directory has arrived. Find it in the Business Reference section at BUS REF 658.1

This excellent three volume directory lists business rankings by sales and employees , geographic listings for Massachusetts and New Hampshire as well as alphabetic and SIC cross-references. Check out the company listings for Westwood and surrounding towns.

Westwood’s Top 10 requests for January – fiction or mystery

2011-01-05T11:55:00.001-08:00

Rescue / Anita Shreve

Moonlight mile / Dennis Lehane

Confession / John Grisham

Cutting for stone / A. Verghese

Dead or alive / Tom Clancy

Hell’s corner / David Baldacci

What the night knows / Dean Koontz

Live wire / Harlan Coben

Gideon’s sword / Douglas Preston

Sentry / Robert Crais

WORKING AMERICANS

2011-01-05T08:18:00.001-08:00

The latest volume in this excellent series is now available in the Reference collection at the Westwood Library. Each volume examines a different aspect of the social and economic lives of working Americans.

First published in 2000, there are now eleven volumes in this most interesting series. The first three volumes examined the economic lives of working-class, middle-class and upper-class Americans from 1880 – 1999. Later volumes looked at the lives of children, Americans at war, women at work, social movements, immigrants, the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, and sports and recreation.

Now, volume XI looks at inventors and entrepreneurs from 1880 – 2010.

Not only is this a wonderful series for student assignments, it is for anyone interested in the lives of both ordinary and extraordinary working people. Find these books at REFERENCE 305.562 Derks

Islington Branch Book Share – November 16, 2010

2010-12-17T14:07:00.001-08:00

Members of the Book Share enjoyed a varied selection of books this month :

FICTION :

The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle (2010)

Blood Kin by Ceridwen Dovey (2008)

The Confession by John Grisham (2010)

The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore (2009)

98 Reasons for Being by Clare Dudman (2005)

One Good Dog by Susan Wilson (2010)

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay (2010)

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (2009)

A Secret Kept by Tatiana De Rosnay (2010)

31 Bond St by Ellen Horan (2010)

The Widow’s War by Sally Gunning (2006)

MYSTERY :

Worst Case by James Patterson MYSTERY (2010)

NON-FICTION :

The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College by Jacques Steinberg 378.161 Steinberg (2002)

NEXT BOOK SHARE :

JANUARY 18, 2011 at 10 a.m.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON THE USA ?

2010-12-14T08:05:00.001-08:00

Take a look at the Westwood Library database AtoZtheUSA.com. from World Trade Press

Facts, figures, articles, reports, & photos. Available on the library computers or at home via the library website. A FREE SERVICE OF THE LIBRARY.

Go to westwoodlibrary.org. Under the LIBRARY RESOURCES tab, click on electronic databases. You will need your library card to access this site and all the other excellent databases available via remote access.

Check out the other databases from World Trade Press : AtoZmapsonline and Global Road Warrior.

Don’t forget the Bard !

2010-12-07T12:04:00.001-08:00

Looking for a good quotation ? The Reference Department has just added the 2010 reprint edition of “ The Arden Dictionary of Shakespeare quotations.” Compiled by Jane Armstrong, this easy to use volume has both a keyword and topic index, glossary with an index of references to his plays. Find it at Reference 822.33 Arden.

READING GROUP CHOICES 2011

2010-12-03T10:43:00.001-08:00

Looking for a good book for your Book Group ? The 2011 edition of “Reading group Choices : selections for lively book discussions” is now available at the Reference Desk.

Copies from 1998 – 2010 also available for perusal.

Don’t forget you can also visit the Reading Group Choices website by clicking the link on this blog or go to readinggroupchoices.com

Great non-fiction titles in the news

2010-11-12T09:05:00.001-08:00

The Elephant to Hollywood / Michael Caine BIOG Caine

The War for late night : when Leno went early and television went crazy / Bill Carter 791.45 Carter

Louisa May Alcott : a personal biography / Susan Cheever BIOG Alcott

My reading life / Pat Conroy 813.54 Conroy

Unbearable lightness : a story of loss and gain / Portia De Rossi BIOG De Rossi

I remember nothing and other reflections / Nora Ephron 814.54 Ephron

Must you go : my life with Harold Pinter / Antonia Fraser BIOG Pinter

My nest isn’t empty, it just has more closet space : the amazing adventures of an ordinary woman / Lisa Scottoline 814.54 Scottoline

Possessed : the life of Joan Crawford / Donald Spoto BIOG Crawford

KEEP READING !

2010-10-04T08:18:00.001-07:00

Updates to the blog will be back on October 21. In the meantime, watch for new releases this month from these popular authors :

Lee Child / Worth dying for

Michael Connelly / The Reversal

Bernard Cornwell / The Fort

Vince Flynn / American assassin

John Grisham / The Confession

John Le Carre / Our kind of traitor

Alexander McCall Smith / The Charming quirks of others

Robert Parker / Painted ladies

and --- coming in November :

MOONLIGHT MILE by Dennis Lehane

KEN FOLLETT RETURNS

2010-09-28T08:54:00.001-07:00

Following the success of “World without end”, Ken Follett returns with the first volume of a new trilogy. Released today, September 28, and already a guaranteed best-seller :

“FALL OF GIANTS”. Book one of “THE CENTURY TRILOGY”.

Follow five families in the Twentieth century, from the outbreak of World War I and through other major events of the century.

Book 2 is scheduled for publication in 2012 and will cover the Depression and World War II. The final volume will be published in 2014 and take readers through the Cold War era.

Between summer’s longing and winter’s end

2010-09-27T11:36:00.001-07:00

If you enjoyed “The Girl with the dragon tattoo” and the other books in this trilogy by Stieg Larsson, take a look at the new novel :

“Between summer’s longing and winter’s end : the story of a crime” by Leif G. W. Persson. This is the first volume of a trilogy that is a fictional account of the unsolved assassination of Swedish Prime Minister, Olof Palme in 1986.

Leif Persson is a psychological profiler and Professor at Sweden’s National Police Board. He has depicted Swedish social and political developments in his novels for more than thirty years. This his first novel to be published in the English language.

ISLINGTON BRANCH BOOK SHARE – books we enjoyed and recommend

2010-09-22T07:37:00.001-07:00

We talked about these books at our September 21 meeting. Please join us at the next BOOK SHARE on Tuesday, November 16 at 10 a.m. at the Islington Branch Library. Everyone welcome. Claire Connors.

Claire’s choice : Fragile by Lisa Unger (Fiction, 2010) & The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan (Biography, 2008)

Maddi’s choice : The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with fire by Stieg Larsson (Fiction, 2008 & 2009) & Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (Fiction, 2010)

Jean selected two books by Andre Dubus III. House of Sand and Fog (Fiction, 1999) & The Garden of Last Days (Fiction, 2008).

Mary H. enjoyed Bound (Fiction, 2008) and The Widow’s War (Fiction, 2006) by Sally Gunning, The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom (Fiction, 2010) and The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall (Mystery, 2009)

Eileen recommends The Big Short: inside the doomsday machine by Michael Lewis (330.973, 2010), Money to Burn by James Grippando (Fiction, 2010) and City of Thieves by David Benioff (Fiction, 2008)

Ann picked Let’s Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell (Biography, 2010) & Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (Fiction, 2010)

Mary L. chose Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Fiction, 2010) & Peter Robinson’s latest British mystery Bad Boy (Mystery, 2010) and The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley (Mystery, 2010)

Nancy read Dead Line by Stella Rimington (Fiction, 2010), The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas (Fiction, 1997) and Prince of Thieves by Charles Hogan (Fiction, 2004) The new Ben Affleck movie The Town is based on this book.

Do you like dogs ?

2010-09-21T07:46:00.001-07:00

Just released - a cruel story that becomes an uplifting tale, revealing the best and the worst in people and how man's best friend still wants to be man's best friend.

"The Lost dogs : Michael Vick's dogs and their tale of rescue and redemption" by Jim Gorant, Senior Editor at Sports Ilustrated. 636.0832 Gorant

Become an Instant Expert !

2010-09-02T08:18:00.001-07:00

Check out the new DVDs that will give you a Quick Guide to interesting historical topics :

The Westwood Library has the following History Channel Instant Expert series on : Ben Franklin ; Egypt ; The French Revolution ; The Mayflower ; The Story of Oil. Look for them in the non-fiction DVD collection.

An Exciting Read !

2010-08-24T07:52:00.001-07:00

For an exciting true story, check out the newly-released book :

“The Tiger : a true story of vengeance and survival” by John Vaillant.

A tale of a man-eating tiger in Russia’s Far East, the poacher he kills and the tracker. This book has received excellent reviews and listed as one of Amazon’s best books of the Month for August 2010.

Westwood Library call no. 599.756 Vaillant

OPERATION MINCEMEAT

2010-08-20T09:17:00.001-07:00

This year, two new books have been published recounting the Allied plan known as “Operation Mincemeat” to deceive the German High Command. Both books have received excellent reviews. Read one or read both – miltary history buffs will certainly find the story fascinating.

Deathly deception : the real story of Operation Mincemeat / Denis Smyth 940.54 Smyth

Operation Mincemeat : how a dead man and a bizarre plan fooled the Nazis and assured an Allied victory / Ben Macintyre. 940.54 Macintyre. Westwood Library also has the book on CD of Macintyre’s book

Be an informed patient

2010-08-20T08:56:00.001-07:00

As seen on TV ! Westwood Library now has “The Empowered patient” by Elizabeth Cohen.

With the subtitle : How to get the right diagnosis, buy the cheapest drugs, beat your insurance company, and get the best medical care every time”, this slim, easy to read paperback has lots of interesting information. The author is the CNN Senior Medical correspondent. 615.5 Cohen

BIRD STRIKE

2010-08-20T08:37:00.001-07:00

Just released – a new book on a major air disaster at Logan Airport in 1960.

“Bird strike : the crash of the Boston Electra” by Michael N. Kalafatas relates the crash of a Lockheed Electra jet turboprop at Logan Airport on October 4, 1960 when the plane encountered a massive flock of starlings. 363.12 Kalafatas

The Last Muster : images of the Revolutionary War generation

2010-08-17T13:41:00.001-07:00

The Westwood Library Adult Services Department is pleased to announce that the latest book, compiled with great care by local resident Maureen Taylor, has been added to the History collection. The book is comprised of a collection of photographic images from the 19th century, complete with commentary by the author. In her introduction, the author explains how she came to be involved in such a fascinating project. Published by The Kent State University Press in 2010, the Westwood Library call number is : 973.3 Taylor.

Yet another best seller from James Patterson.

2010-08-17T08:40:00.001-07:00

With the release of “The Postcard Killers”, James Patterson teams up for the first time with one of Europe’s best selling authors, Liza Marklund. Her first novel, “The Bomber” was the most successful book published in Sweden.

“The Postcard Killers” was released in Sweden in January 2010 and rose to the top of the best seller lists.

Not all of her books have been released in the USA. No doubt this will change after this joint publishing venture with Patterson. The Westwood Library has “The Bomber” and “Studio Sex”.

Her new book “Red Wolf” is due to be released in the USA in February 2011.

Frederick Forsyth returns

2010-08-17T07:56:00.001-07:00

In Frederick Forsyth’s latest thriller “The Cobra”, ex-CIA agent Paul Devereaux (aka “The Cobra”), is given the task by the President of the United States of destroying the lucrative cocaine industry. Another best seller for the author.

“Across the Pond”

2010-08-06T11:39:00.001-07:00

Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in its Darkest, Finest Hour by Lynne Olson. 940.931 Olson

Random House, 2010

This book tells the fascinating, behind-the-scenes story of how three American men worked to provide support for Great Britain during the German Blitz of 1940 and 1941. The men, U. S. Ambassador John Gilbert Winant, businessman Averell Harriman, and broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, understood the importance of supporting England against Nazi Germany before it was a popular position in the United States. Olson explains how each man used his intelligence and influence to aid Winston Churchill and London citizens. Although not a complete biography of any man, Olson does explore how each man’s business, political, and personal relationships ultimately influenced history.

TM 8/10

MARK TWAIN – 2010, the 100th Anniversary of his death

2010-08-06T09:44:00.001-07:00

The Mark Twain Anthology : Great writers on his life and works / edited by Shelley Fisher Fishkin 818 Mark

…coming in November, the University of California Press will publish for the first time, volume 1 of the uncensored autobiography of Mark Twain.

Check out TWAIN2010.org for events and happenings this year.

ISLINGTON BOOK SHARE

2010-08-02T13:52:00.001-07:00

Books we enjoyed – discussed at our meeting on July 27.

The Things They Carried / Tim O’Brien - Mary

Sarah’s Key / Tatiana de Rosnay & Eleventh Victim / Nancy Grace - Ronnie

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest / Stieg Larsson Ann

The Spire / Richard North Patterson & In The Name Of Honor / Richard North Patterson - Nancy

The 13^th Hour / Richard Doetsh & The Taking / Dean Koontz - Carolyn

The Queen’s Governess / Karen Harper, Prayers For Sale / Sandra Dallas & This Body Of Death / Elizabeth George - Mary

There Will Never Be Another You & The Handyman / Carolyn See & The Tortilla Curtain / Thomas C. Boyle - Jean

Losing Charlotte / Heather Clay - Jane

The Language Of Secrets / Dianne Dixon & Wish You Well / David Baldacci – Claire

The Island / Elin Hilderbrand & Fly Away Home / Jennifer Weiner - Maddi

NON-FICTION

Have a little faith / Mitch Albom 200 Albom - MaryAnn

The Brothers Bulger / Howie Carr 364.1 Carr - Ann

Lift / Kelly Corrigan 170.44 Corrigan - Claire

Why my third husband will be a dog / Lisa Scottoline 814.54 Scottoline - Carolyn

***OUR NEXT BOOK SHARE WILL BE SEPTEMBER 21^ST AT 10AM***

Another bestseller ? Read for yourself.

2010-07-19T13:33:00.001-07:00

TANA FRENCH’s third novel “FAITHFUL PLACE”is set in Dublin, as were her previous bestsellers “IN THE WOODS” and “THE LIKENESS”

Catherine O’Flynn. Winner of the 2007 Costa First novel award for the critically acclaimed “WHAT WAS LOST”. Will the author’s second novel, “THE NEWS WHERE YOU ARE” be as successful ?

Linda Castillo.

Introduced in “SWORN TO SILENCE”, Amish Police Chief, Kate Burkholder returns in “PRAY FOR SILENCE”

South Africa in the fifties is the setting for Mala Nunn’s excellent crime novels “A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE” and “LET THE DEAD LIE.”

After “VIRGIN OF SMALL PLAINS”, Nancy Pickard’s exciting new suspense novel, THE SCENT OF RAIN AND LIGHTNING” features a similar rural Kansas setting.

Finally – Inger Ash Wolfe returns with “THE TAKEN”, featuring Canadian Detective Hazel Micallef, introduced in “THE CALLING”

HOT OFF THE PRESS

2010-07-07T13:39:00.001-07:00

Hot off the press or coming soon !

August 2010

Burn / Nevada Barr

Tough customer / Sandra Brown

Cure / Robin Cook

Scarlet nights / Jude Deveraux

The Cobra / Frederick Forsyth

The Red Queen / Philippa Gregory

The Vigilantes / W.E.B. Griffin

Veil of night / Linda Howard

Hangman / Faye Kellerman

Body work / Sara Paretsky

The Postcard killers / James Patterson

Spider bones / Kathy Reichs

The Last lie / Stephen White

September 2010

Buried secrets / Joseph Finder

The Widower’s tale / Julia Glass

Ape house / Sara Gruen

Mini-shopaholic / Sophie Kinsella

Don’t blink / James Patterson

Portobello / Ruth Rendell

Bad blood / John Sandford

Safe haven / Nicholas Sparks *

*(Sparks title change – may be under “Saying goodbye”)

Legacy / Danielle Steel

October 2010

The Reversal / Michael Connelly

The Brave / Nicholas Evans

Promise me / Richard Paul Evans

Untitled : a Mitch Rapp thriller / Vince Flynn* (to be called “American assassin”)

The Confession / John Grisham

In the company of others / Jan Karon

Our kind of traitor / John Le Carre

Djibouti / Elmore Leonard

Nemesis / Philip Roth

Forbidden Places / Penny Vincenzi

November 2010

The Emperor’s tomb / Steve Berry

Port Mortuary / Patricia Cornwell

Crescent dawn / Clive Cussler

The Edge / Jeffrey Deaver

Moonlight mile / Dennis Lehane

The Distant hours / Kate Morton

Rescue / Anita Shreve

Westwood Top requests – July 2010

2010-07-07T13:16:00.001-07:00

Westwood patrons are reading or are waiting to read :

The Girl who kicked the hornet’s nest / Stieg Larsson
Private / James Patterson
Sizzling sixteen / Janet Evanovich
The Lion / Nelson DeMille
The Passage / Justin Cronin
Whiplash / Catherine Coulter
61 hours / Lee Child
Little Bee / Chris Cleave
A Reliable wife / Robert Goolrick
Storm prey / John Sandford
House rules / Jodi Picoult
Veil of night / Linda Howard
Rembrandt affair / Daniel Silva
Innocent / Scott Turow
Deliver us from evil / David Baldacci
Heart of the matter / Emily Giffin
The Shadow of your smile / Mary Higgins Clark
One day / David Nicholls
Devil colony / James Rollins
Faithful place / Tana French
The Particular sadness of lemon cake / Aimee Bender
The Postcard killers / James Patterson
Fly away home / Jennifer Weiner
In the name of honor / Richard North patterson
The Burning wire / Jeffery Deaver
Bad blood / James Sandford
Santa Fe edge / Stuart Woods
Foreign influence / Brad Thor
Ice cold / Tess Gerritsen
The Search / Nora Roberts
Cutting for stone / A. Verghese
Promises to keep / Jane Green
The Lake Shore limited / Sue Miller
The Help / Kathryn Stockett
Untitled: a Mitch Rapp thriller / Vince Flynn (to be called “American Assassin)
Star Island / Carl Hiaasen
Wicked appetite / Janet Evanovich
Sea escape / Lynne Reeves Griffin
Don’t blink / James Patterson
Painted ladies / Robert Parker

NO TIME TO READ ? TRY LISTENING TO A BOOK ON CD

2010-06-26T12:56:00.001-07:00

Recent additions to the Westwood Library collection include :

61 hours / Lee Child

The Girl who kicked the hornet’s nest / Stieg Larsson

Island beneath the sea / Isabel Allende

The Last child / John Hart

The Lion / Nelson DeMille

Storm prey / John Sandford

Prefer non-fiction ?

Citizens of London : the Americans who stood with Britain in its darkest, finest hour / Lynne Olson CD-U 940.931

Operation Mincemeat : how a dead man and a bizarre plan fooled the Nazis and assured an Allied victory / Ben Macintyre CD-U 940.54 Macintyre

Supreme power : Franklin Roosevelt vs the Supreme Court / Jeff Shesol CD-U 347.73 Shesol

Check out these and other new books on CD at the Library or reserve your copy online at www.mln.lib.ma.us

New additions to the Languages on cd collection

2010-06-16T16:31:00.001-07:00

Improve your language skills with one of these new titles ! Now available at the Library.

Now available :

Short course : Croatian, Urdu. Coming soon : Hungarian, Romanian, Ukranian.

Starting out in : Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian.

Spoken word : Polish, Dutch, Greek, Thai

Also available : Swahili and Tagalog

BENJAMIN BLACK’S DUBLIN

2010-05-19T17:29:00.001-07:00

Quirke returns in “Elegy for April.”

1950s Dublin is the setting for Benjamin Black’s superb third crime novel featuring Quirke, the hard-drinking, stubborn, but curious pathologist. This time, his daughter enlists his help to find out what has happened to her friend April Latimer. Once again, Quirke encounters powerful families, politicians and members of the Catholic Church as well as a conservative society of the day as he seeks to unravel the mystery.

First introduced in Christine Falls, returning in The Silver Swan and now Elegy for April, Benjamin Black has created a memorable character in Quirke.

No time to read ? Listen to the books on CD, superbly narrated by the actor Timothy Dalton.

Younger than springtime

2010-05-19T16:10:00.001-07:00

Check out the current book display at the Library

Young characters in fiction :

Adichi, Chimamanda: PURPLE HIBISCUS. Teenaged Kambili narrates the story of an unhappy family and Nigeria’s political turmoil.

Allison, Dorothy: BASTARD OUT OF CAROLINA. Ruth Anne, called Bone, suffers abuse as she grows up in the rural South.

Ammaniti, Niccolo: I’M NOT SCARED. Michele and his friends make a chilling discovery during a scorching Italian summer.

Bates, Judy Fong: MIDNIGHT AT THE DRAGON CAFÉ Su-jen’s father brings her and her mother to work at his small Canadian restaurant: assimilation is not easy, but family tension and secrets are worse.

Beard, Philip: DEAR ZOE Tess, heartbroken by her little sister’s death, writes her a letter.

Boren, Karen: GIRLS IN PERIL. Five neighborhood girls leave childhood behind during a 1970s summer.

Cook, K.L.: THE GIRL FROM CHARNELLE. Laura, keeping house after her mother abandons the family, is drawn into an affair with a friend of her father.

Davis, Amanda: WONDER WHEN YOU’LL MISS ME. A troubled teenager runs away and joins the circus.

Furey, Leo: THE LONG RUN. The resilient boys in a Canadian orphanage band together and rise above their harsh and lonely situation.

Gibbons, Kaye: ELLEN FOSTER. Ellen describes her journey from a troubled family to a nurturing foster home.

Godden, Rumer: THE GREENGAGE SUMMER. A group of English children are left nearly unsupervised at a French hotel when their mother becomes ill.

Greenway, Alice: WHITE GHOST GIRLS. Hong Kong, summer, 1967, two sisters: a haunting story of memory and loss.

Grimes, Martha: HOTEL PARADISE. Emma lives in a run-down resort hotel and becomes fascinated by the long-ago death of a girl just her age.

Guene, Faiza: KIFFE KIFFE TOMORROW. Tough-talking Doria struggles to make sense of her world: she and her mother are Muslim immigrants living in a housing project near Paris.

Haddon, Mark: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME. Gifted, autistic Christopher learns more than he expects to when he investigates the murder of a neighbor’s dog.

Haig, Matthew: THE DEAD FATHERS’ CLUB. Philip’s father, a ghost, asks Philip to avenge his death…sounds Shakespearean.

Hedges, Peter: AN OCEAN IN IOWA. Scotty Ocean’s big plans for his seventh year are interrupted by his mother’s departure.

Hodgen, Christie: HELLO, I MUST BE GOING. Near Boston, Frankie and her family learn to cope with her father’s suicide.

Hosseini, Khaled: THE KITE RUNNER. Amir and Hassan are the best of friends in this story of personal redemption and Afghanistan’s tragedy.

Jonsson, Reidar: MY LIFE AS A DOG. A young Swedish boy, whose parents are mostly absent, has a series of adventures populated by a cast of eccentric characters.

Joyce, Graham: THE FACTS OF LIFE. During World War II in Coventry, England, Frank is born into an unusual but loving family: his six unconventional aunts share his upbringing.

Kagen, Leslie: WHISTLING IN THE DARK. In 1950s Milwaukee, neglected Sally and her sister navigate the neighborhood and steer clear of someone Sally has decided is a predator.

Kalpakian, Laura: EDUCATING WAVERLEY. During World War II, Waverley receives an enduring education at an eccentric school in the Puget Sound area.

Kincaid, Nanci: AS HOT AS IT WAS YOU OUGHT TO THANK ME. Berry, a small-town Florida girl, describes the puzzling events of one hot summer.

Lee, Harper: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Scout narrates the classic story of race and injustice in her small Southern town.

Lipman, Elinor: MY LATEST GRIEVANCE. Frederica has grown up in the college dorm staffed by her parents; she describes them as “two bleeding hearts beating as one.”

Lynch, Jim: THE HIGHEST TIDE. Miles O’Malley lives on Puget Sound. Obsessed by marine life, he makes some remarkable finds and attracts all kinds of attention in this quirky, endearing story.

McCullers, Carson: THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING News of her brother’s wedding plans enlivens an otherwise dull summer for Frankie, whose main companions are her younger cousin and the family cook.

McEwan, Ian: ATONEMENT. In 1935 England, Briony misunderstands what she sees; she will spend her life atoning for the damage she does.

McFarland, Dennis: PRINCE EDWARD. Benjamin is ten years old in 1959, when Virginia’s Prince Edward County closes its public schools rather than integrate them.

Mitcham, Judson: SABBATH CREEK. On the run from his abusive father when car trouble strands them in Sabbath Creek, Georgia, Lewis and his mother meet the remarkable owner of the local motel.

Mitchell, David: BLACK SWAN GREEN. The story of Jason’s thirteenth summer illuminates the lessons of the larger world, contained in the ordinary life of a boy.

Moore, Lorrie: WHO WILL RUN THE FROG HOSPITAL? In a story both funny and touching, Berie recalls the summer when she and her best friend worked at an amusement park in upstate New York.

Montgomery, L.M.: ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. The first in the classic series about Anne Shirley, a red-haired orphan growing up on Prince Edward Island.

Moynahan, Molly: STONE GARDEN. Prep-school Alice’s life is changed forever by the disappearance of the boy she has always loved.

O’Flynn, Catherine: WHAT WAS LOST. Kate, aided by her stuffed monkey, tracks potential criminals at a local shopping mall; twenty years later, her disappearance is still unsolved.

Olmstead, Robert: COAL BLACK HORSE. Fourteen-year-old Robey leaves home to search for his father on the fields of Gettysburg.

Pascoe, Judy: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN A TREE. In this story of a family coping with the loss of a husband and father, Simone’s narration is funny, touching, and wise well beyond her years.

Reynolds, Marjorie: THE STARLITE DRIVE-IN. Callie recalls her twelfth summer, when her father ran the drive-in and both Callie and her mother fell for a mysterious stranger.

Rock, Peter: MY ABANDONMENT. Caroline and her father avoid people and live in an Oregon nature preserve; when they are discovered, disaster follows.

Salinger, J.D.: THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. The classic and often hilarious story of Holden Caulfield, who runs away from boarding school and discovers New York.

Sebold, Alice: THE LOVELY BONES. Suzy narrates from heaven, chronicling the impact of her murder on her family.

Tartt, Donna: THE LITTLE FRIEND. Imaginative Harriet, left mostly to her own devices, decides to solve a murder that occurred in her family – and she has a suspect all picked out.

Theroux, Paul: THE MOSQUITO COAST. Charlie’s father, fed up with modern life, drags his family to Central America to live a self-sufficient existence.

Tucker, Todd: OVER AND UNDER. Andy and Tom, best of friends, must navigate a changing world: their fathers are on opposite sides of a labor dispute.

Watson, Jan Elizabeth: ASTA IN THE WINGS. Seven-year-old Asta and her brother live reclusively with their unbalanced mother; when she disappears, the children must venture into the world.

Way, Camilla: THE DEAD OF SUMMER. Three children died in the caves underneath London’s Greenwich Park; the survivor tells the chilling story.

Wolff, Tobias: OLD SCHOOL. At a New England prep school, the narrator’s desire to win a literary contest--and meet Ernest Hemingway!-- is so great that he crosses an ethical line.

nsh 04/10

BOOKS IN A MINUTE - 3

2010-04-28T06:29:00.001-07:00

Arsenault, Mark: GRAVEWRITER

Obituary writer and chronic gambler Billy Povich knows the seedy side of Providence, but a call to jury duty may change things for him. Noirish, grim, and gritty; with strong characters and just enough humor.

Gruen, Sara: WATER FOR ELEPHANTS.

Jacob is ninety and in a nursing home as he recalls

his adventures in a Depression-era circus. A romantic period piece with an improbably wonderful ending.

Harris, Jane: THE OBSERVATIONS

Young Bessy Buckley lucks into a job as a maid in Victorian Scotland and soon discovers what her employer is up to. Gothic fun; Bessy is earthy, sharp-tongued, and entirely original.

Landay, William: THE STRANGLER

Boston, 1963. Albert DeSalvo has confessed, but this story is really about the three Daley brothers: a rogue cop, a burglar, and an attorney. A gripping, suspenseful read about family, honor, and betrayal.

Lowenthal, Michael: CHARITY GIRL

Young Frieda works at Jordan Marsh until a fling with a soldier results in venereal disease and incarceration in a detention camp. A powerful and haunting story of World War I in America.

Mullen, Thomas: THE LAST TOWN ON EARTH

During the 1918 flu epidemic, a town quarantines itself, with violent results. Atmospheric, compelling historical fiction.

Munro, Alice: THE VIEW FROM CASTLE ROCK

Masterful short-story writer Munro follows the Laidlaw family as they emigrate from Scotland to Canada. Based on Munro’s own family, the stories take place over several generations . Economical but illuminating details of setting and character.

Setterfield, Diane: THE THIRTEENTH TALE

An aging novelist tells the tale of her own life: books, ghosts, half-truths and twists. Original and enchanting.

Shields, Jody: THE CRIMSON PORTRAIT

A young widow turns her English estate into a hospital for soldiers with facial disfigurements and sees a chance to turn a patient into a vision of her husband. Fascinating, sometimes gruesome, historical fiction.

Wilson, Andrew: THE LYING TONGUE

A novelist’s assistant discovers hints about his employer’s past and decides to write an unauthorized biography, with disastrous results. Set in Venice; a creepy, clever literary thriller.

Reviews by Nancy Hogan

AND ONE IN MORE THAN A MINUTE !

The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni

As a former hippie and someone who once tried to build a yurt (precursor to the geodesic dome), I was hooked from the first mention of Buckminster Fuller, inventor of aforesaid dome. Sebastian Prendergast has lived with his grandmother in the first geodesic dome in Iowa, since the death of his parents eleven years previously. Nana has not only homeschooled Sebastian, she has been grooming him to save the world (or Spaceship Earth, as it was known to Fuller), and the only contact she has allowed him with the outside world is brief meetings with tourists who come to tour the dome, and limited time online to visit sanctioned educational websites. Luckily for Sebastian, when Nana keels over, the mother and son taking the tour follow the ambulance to the hospital. The mother, Janice, hugs Sebastian and gives him her son Jared’s phone number, assuring him that Jared wants to be friends with him, and thus begins a truly unusual but believable friendship between two teenaged boys. Jared verbally abuses Sebastian, introduces him to smoking, soda, and junk food, and most importantly, punk rock. He convinces Sebastian to form a band with him, because, as Sid Vicious proved, you don’t have to know how to play the bass to play it in a band. I love the way Sebastian’s sudden plunge into the world of punk rock opens him up.

Review by Stacy Church

YOUNG ADULT KNITTING PROGRAM

2010-04-23T11:39:00.001-07:00

Looking for something to do this summer?

Would you like to learn to knit, or have a professional help you improve your knitting? Come join us at the Westwood Library on Tuesday Aug. 3, 10 and 17 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm for a young adult knitting program.

Everyone in grades 6 – 12 is welcome. Registration is required, and enrollment is limited to 10, so register early! All material will be provided.

Sign up at the Reference Desk or call 781-320-1045.

CONSUMER RESOURCES – go beyond CONSUMER REPORTS

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www.cnet.com Extremely popular site for reviews and news of technology products. Also includes information on appliances.

www.consumersearch.com Reviews of all products. Each product category includes best reviewed, full reports & sources. Detailed category index.

www.consum erworld.org Founded by local consumer lawyer Edgar Dworsky in 1995. Public service, non-commercial guide.

Local Services: Boston Consumers’ CHECKBOOK

Nonprofit magazine & website providing information on Boston area services. Go online in the Library to the Westwood database list to access www.checkbook.org for all articles & ratings

Other sites :

www.consumerreview.com Primarily “User-generated” buying advice for outdoor sporting goods & consumer electronics

www.epinions.com General consumer review site.

www.howstuffworks.com Select Consumer Guide products at bottom of page

www.toptenreviews.com “We do the reviews so you don’t have to” Reviews of electronics, software etc.

The ART of the STEAL

2010-04-09T11:49:00.000-07:00