First Finds! July New Books at the Haltom City Public Library

The first of the month = First Finds! Here is the latest installment of new and interesting books from the collection. 

Before the fall by Noah Hawley
Genre: Mystery; Thrillers and suspense
"The stories of ten wealthy victims of a plane crash intertwine with those of a down-on-his-luck painter and a four-year-old boy, the tragedy's only survivors, as odd coincidences surrounding the crash point to a possible conspiracy." - NoveList





But what if we're wrong: thinking about the present as if it were the past by Chuck Klosterman
"The best-selling author of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs explores the idea that today's mainstream beliefs about the world are fundamentally incorrect, drawing on original interviews with forefront intellectuals and experts to consider how the music, sports, literature and other present-day conventions may be perceived in future centuries." - NoveList





You may also like: taste in an age of endless choice by Tom Vanderbilt
Genre: Social topics, Business and economics
"From the best-selling author of Traffic, a brilliant and entertaining exploration of our personal tastes--why we like the things we like, and what it says about us." - NoveList








The girls by Emma Cline
Genre: Adult books for young adults; Coming-of-age stories; Psychological fiction

"Mesmerized by a band of girls in the park she perceives as enjoying a life of free and careless abandon, 1960s teen Evie Boyd becomes obsessed with gaining acceptance into their circle, only to find herself drawn into a cult and seduced by its charismatic leader." - NoveList

Want more? Click on the "First Finds" label below to see more recommended books.

First Finds! June New Books at the Haltom City Public Library

The first of the month = First Finds! Here is the latest installment of new and interesting books from the collection. 

Paul McCartney : the life by Philip Norman
Genre: Biography
"Since the age of twenty-one, Paul McCartney has lived one of the ultimate rock-n-roll lives played out on the most public of stages. Now, Paul's story is told by rock music's foremost biographer, with McCartney's consent and access to family members and close friends who have never spoken on the record before. PAUL McCARTNEY reveals the complex character behind the façade and sheds new light on his childhood--blighted by his mother's death but redeemed by the father who introduced him to music. This is the first definitive account of Paul's often troubled partnership with John Lennon, his personal trauma after the Beatles' breakup, and his subsequent struggle to get back to the top with Wings--which nearly got him murdered in Africa and brought him nine days in a Tokyo jail. Readers will learn about his marriage to Linda, including their much-criticized musical collaboration, and a moving account of her death. Packed with new information and critical insights, PAUL MCCARTNEY will be the definitive biography of a musical legend,"--Amazon.com.

Until we are free : my fight for human rights in Iran by Shirin Ebadi
Genres: Autobiography/Memoir; Politics and global affairs; Society and culture
"The first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize recounts how she endured death threats, false accusations targeting her family, arrests, invasions of privacy, home attacks, office seizures and other harassment from the Iranian government for her work as a human rights lawyer." - NoveList

FYI: Read here about Shirin Ebadi and about her winning the Nobel Peace Prize.


Redemption Road by John Hart
Genre: Mystery
"In Hart’s new suspense novel, we meet veteran detective Elizabeth Black, who is facing possible suspension for a suspicious shooting. At the same time, former police officer Adrian Wall is released from prison after serving time for the murder of Julia Stange. Stange’s son wants Adrian dead. Adrian has always claimed his innocence, but after his release, a couple of new bodies turn up at the church. This is a thrilling page-turner that starts at a rapid-fire pace and doesn’t let up. Great book for literary and thriller lovers alike. -- Kelly Currie for LibraryReads."- NoveList


At the edge of summer by Jessica Brockmole
Genres: Historical Fiction; Epistolary novels
"Spending a summer in a French château in the aftermath of her father's death and mother's disappearance, 15-year-old Clare befriends her hosts' son, who she reencounters years later during World War I as an angry and devastatingly wounded soldier." - NoveList

FYI: An Epistolary Novel is one written as a series of letters.




Zero K by Don DeLillo
Genre: Social science fiction
"Jeffrey Lockhart’s father, Ross, is a George Soros-like billionaire now in his sixties, with a younger wife, Artis, whose health is failing. Ross is the primary investor in a deeply remote and secret compound where death is controlled and bodies are preserved until a future moment when medicine and technology can reawaken them. Jeffrey joins Ross and Artis at the compound to say 'an uncertain farewell' to her as she surrenders her body." - NoveList





Want more? Click on the "First Finds" label below to see more recommended books.

Hard to Choose Just Three

I hope that everyone got to read Bob Ray Sanders’s column in yesterday’s Fort Worth Star-Telegram for several reasons.  One, he’s one of my favorite columnists.  Two, he’s a great supporter of libraries.  Three, this week he writes about one of his personal dilemmas: culling his list of favorite movies, books, and music down to three per category for the Fort Worth Library’s annual Summer Reading Challenge.   Judging by all of the titles that he listed as some of his favorites, he has quite a bit of work left to do to get to the three finalists. (And no, I’m not telling you what any of the titles are – you need to read his column for yourself.)   I wasn’t surprised that most of the movies he liked weren’t my favorites (it’s a guy vs. gal thing probably).  I expected our taste in books to be similar and I wasn't disappointed.  But I was totally surprised with his excellent taste in music.  He likes the same music and artists that I do!  

If you read his column, you know that he is going to be one of the four guest panelists for Haltom City Public Library’s upcoming August 4^th evening event, “The Songbird Still Sings: A Celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize Award for To Kill a Mockingbird".  In addition, he is going to be the panel moderator for the book discussion so it's no surprise that this book and the movie are on his ‘favorites’ list. 

I tried last tonight to compile my own list of my three most favorite books and I now understand Bob Ray Sanders’s dilemma.  Maybe if I could just raise the limit to ten or twenty, wait, maybe thirty if I counted my favorite childhood books, then maybe I could …..  Nope, can't do it. I’m either fickle or well-read.   I prefer to think I’m well-read.  I wish.  lol.  After much thought, I'd have to say my three favorite books are:  Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Atlas Shrugged.

So what are your three favorite books?  E-mail your three book titles to: libraryblogmistress@gmail.com and let’s find out what’s Haltom City’s three favorite books are.

A Bit Spoiled? You Betcha!

The Haltom City Public Library always makes me feel so special.  They spoil me a tab bit too but I’m not complaining.  I like sitting back in my comfy desk chair and using my computer to screen shop through the current NY Times Best Sellers list for Fiction, Nonfiction and Advice books when I log onto the MetrOPAC Online Services that I accessed through the Haltom City Library’s website.

MetrOPAC is the combined catalog for Haltom City, Benbrook, Burleson, Fort Worth, Keller, Richland Hills, and Watauga. Books and movies found in their catalog may be transferred, upon request, to any library in the MetrOPAC system for resident cardholders to pick up.

Once I see a book or DVD that I want, I can request it from whichever city that has it on the shelf and it’s delivered to my library of choice, the Haltom City Public Library.  If I’m put on a waiting list, it tells me how many patrons are ahead of me.  I can check daily or weekly to see where I am at on the waiting list if I want to, but I don’t really need to because, get this, I get a phone call when my book is ready to be picked up!  How easy is that?  And this is the really unbelievable part—if I’m in a hurry or have a lot of books to pick up or it’s raining, all I have to do is call the library ahead of time and they will have my order ready to pick up at the drive-thru window.  I don’t even have to get out of my car if I don’t want to!   I haven’t used the drive-thru window yet because I personally like to go into the library and roam through the book displays to see if any additional books might catch my fancy.  Plus I like the big smiles I get whenever the librarians and staff assist me.  Like I said, they make me feel special.  But then, they do their best to make sure EVERY patron feels special and gets a tab bit spoiled.  So let's all go get spoiled!

School's Out Next Week!

Ding dong, the school bell stops ringing this week.  Woo hoo!  I remember how thrilled I always felt when school was over for the summer.  To me, summer meant sleeping in, going to the pool, biking, hiking and reading away many a summer afternoon while relaxing in the hammock.  But as much as I looked forward to summer vacations from school, I also ended up getting bored.  I’d get too sunburned at the pool, it’d be too hot to ride my bike, and usually the abundance of bugs and snakes discouraged me from hiking.  Even as much as I loved reading, a few weeks after school was out for the summer, I’d start whining for something different and fun to do.

Then I grew up, had a family of my own and guess what?  Come summer, I’d get to hear the same refrain that I used as a kid, “There’s nothing to do!” 

Well, that’s not going to be a problem at the Haltom City Public Library and their 2011 Summer Reading Program. Tuesday nights, starting June 7, will be Family Movie Night at the library.  Showtime will be 6:30 p.m.  Thursdays, starting June 2, will be Teen Time with topics on writing, poetry, photography and even a poetry slam open mike session.  Creative teen time starts at 2:00 p.m. And on Fridays, starting this week at 2:00 p.m., OMG, there will be a different special guest every Friday to entertain all the young-at-hearts! Nope, no way anyone can be bored this summer.  And what’s the best of all—there will be books, books and more books to choose from for lazy summer day reading. 

Yes, it’s going to be a cool summer at the Haltom City Public Library thanks to Chesapeake Energy, Friends of the HC Public Library, N. TX. Regional Library System, Texas State Library & Archives, and the hard-working but fun loving Haltom City librarians.  Check the city’s website for details or pick up a flier the next time that you are at the library.  I might even sneak away from work myself for one or two of the fun activities but don’t tell anyone. Hope to see you there!

LIBRARY MEMORIES

After reading about the Haltom City Public Library’s 50^th birthday this year, my thoughts traveled back in time to the first day I went to the library as a child.  I was seven.  I remember thinking that I had walked into a magical place made out of books of all sizes and all colors.   There had to be thousands of them!  I felt so overwhelmed and scared.   How would I ever be able to read all of them?  Of course there weren’t really thousands of books.  But there were enough that I wanted to run away at first. I didn’t though. Instead I decided that I was going to read as many as I could.  One problem that I hadn't counted on was that this magical place called a public library was truly magical.  New books kept showing up on the shelves.  Still, I think I managed to read all of the children’s books.

Then I graduated to the section that held the adult books.  I knew then that I would never be able to read all of them.  But that made me feel happy and safe.  It meant there would always be enough books to offer me solace, entertainment, tears, travel, experiences, laughter and knowledge.

I also remember how grownup and special I felt when I was given my very own library card.  The only other card that made me feel as grown up was when I got my driver’s license.  I still never leave home without my driver’s license and my library card.

How did you feel the first time you went to the library?  I’m sure you have fond memories too so why not share a few of them with us? You can e-mail your written memories, no more than 200 words please, to: libraryblogmistress@gmail.com.   Be sure to include your name and phone number.  We might want to publish your piece in the Library blog! Plus, it will be good practice for all of you who are going to enter the Library’s 11^th Annual Writing Contest!  Remember, the deadline for submissions for the writing contest is May 31, 2011.  You can find more information about the contest on the Library’s website.

Don’t forget to sign the Library’s Memory Book the next time you visit! 
Happy Reading!