Author Spotlight: Michael Davis

Get to know New York Times bestselling author Michael Davis better before his visit to the library on January 21st!

Davis is a journalist and the author of Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street. He regularly contributes freelance writing and photography to regional and national publications, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and O: The Oprah Winfrey Magazine. He was a senior editor and Family Page columnist for TV Guide from 2000-2007. Davis holds both an undergraduate and master's degree. He was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University during the 1986-87 academic year. He is also the recipient of a Congressional Medal of Merit for Leadership.

Here are five fun facts about Michael Davis:
1. His favorite Sesame Street character is Grover.
2. In 1978, he played against the Harlem Globetrotters as a member (for a night) of the New Jersey generals.
3. He owns a greyhound named Janie.
4. In 2006, he moderated panels on Battlestar Galactica and Stargate Atlantis at Comic-Con in San Diego.
5. The audiobook version of Davis' book is narrated by legendary puppeteer and television performer Caroll Spinney, who has been Big Bird and Oscar on Sesame Street since the debut season of 1969.

Stop by the library on Thur., Jan. 21st at 7 p.m. to hear the unforgettable story behind Sesame Street, meet Michael Davis and pick up a signed copy of his fascinating book. Reservations requested - 610-398-1361 Ext. 13. Copies of Street Gang will be available to purchase.

All information taken from the Street Gang website. Photo credited to Adrian Kinloch.

Best Fiction of 2009

Here it is...the ultimate compilation of the best fiction of 2009! This list features selections from the "best of" lists of Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal, The New York Times, Amazon.com, The Washington Post and NPR, cross-referenced against the most popular titles at PCL. The result is a year's worth of great books.

*Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

*Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

*A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

*The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

*Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

*The Help by Kathryn Stockett

*Little Bee by Chris Cleave

*The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

*Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

*Spooner by Pete Dexter

What were your favorite books of 2009?

Delicious Dishes

One of the most special aspects of the holidays is food. From cookies and pies to stuffing and yams no friend or family get-together would be complete without these memorable dishes. If you're looking to spice things up with some new recipes, look no further than these helpful websites:

All Recipes - This site features a variety of recipes from several magazines, including Taste of Home and Healthy Cooking. There are even recipes for restricted diets, such as diabetic, gluten-free, high-fiber, low-carb, sugar free, low glycemic impact, and more. To find these recipes, select "More Recipes" on the left hand column on the homepage, and then select "Healthy Cooking" on the next left hand column.

Epicurious - With contributions from Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines, this site offers recipes with flair.

Food Network - From the network devoted to shows about all things food-related, this site features recipes for any course from your favorite TV personalities, such as Guy Fieri, Giada de Laurentiis, Paula Deen, and many more.

Hershey's - The beloved candy company's website includes a wide range of delectable dessert recipes. It even features "fun for kids" recipes that children can make with their parents.

Vegetarian Times - Hosted by the magazine of the same name, this site provides a plethora of tasty recipes for vegetarians and vegans (although non-vegetarians and non-vegans are sure to enjoy them as well!)

What are your favorite holiday recipes and recipe websites?

DVD Guide

There's no shortage of popular DVD releases around the holidays. The trouble is figuring out which films are all hype and which are worth your time. Here are some of this season's most anticipated DVD releases, along with the critic consensus from Rotten Tomatoes.

*Angels and Demons (Rated PG-13) - "a fast-paced thrill ride, and an improvement on the last Dan Brown adaptation, but the storyline too often wavers between implausible and ridiculous"
*Funny People (Rated R) - "features the requisite humor, as well as considerable emotional depth, resulting in Judd Apatow's most mature film to date"
*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Rated PG) - "Dark, thrilling, and occasionally quite funny, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is also visually stunning and emotionally satisfying"
*Julie and Julia (Rated PG-13) - "Boosted by Meryl Streep's charismatic performance as Julia Child, Julie and Julia is a light, but fairly entertaining culinary comedy"
*Public Enemies (Rated R) - "Michael Mann's latest is a competent and technically impressive gangster flick with charismatic lead performances, but some may find the film lacks truly compelling drama"
*Star Trek (Rated PG-13) - "reignites a classic franchise with action, humor, a strong story, and brilliant visuals, and will please traditional Trekkies and new fans alike"
*Terminator Salvation (Rated PG-13) - "offers plenty of great effects but lacks the heart of the original films"
*Up (Rated PG) - "Another masterful work of art from Pixar, Up is an exciting, hilarious, and heartfelt adventure impeccably crafted and told with wit and depth"

With all that being said, the most important critic review is your own. What are your thoughts on any of these films?

Best Video Games of 2009

Since the holidays are upon us and the year is moving toward its close, it's time for some obligitory "Best Of 2009" lists. The library introduced video games for Wii and PlayStation 3 to the collection this year, so it only seems right to kick things off with a "Best Video Games of 2009" list. Here are the video games that have been the most popular at PCL this year:

*Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)

*Little Big Planet (PS3)

*Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip (Wii)

*Soul Calibur IV (PS3)

*Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Wii, PS3)

*Civilization Revolution (PS3)

*NASCAR Kart Racing (Wii)

*Cooking Mama: World Kitchen (Wii)

*MLB 09: The Show (PS3)

*Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

Which video games made your list of favorites? Check back again soon for more on the best of 2009!

Author Spotlight: Andrew Gross

Andrew Gross, PCL's 2008 "Annual Summer Celebrity," specializes in thrillers. He has co-written several books with James Patterson, including 3rd Degree and The Lifeguard, and penned three solo best-sellers, including his latest Don't Look Twice. Here are five fun facts about this popular author:

1. The Jester is his personal favorite of the books he has written with James Patterson.
2. At one time, he was president of HEAD Ski and Tennis, a manufacturer and marketer of premium sports equipment, and then Le Coq Sportif, a French sports fashion line.
3. One of his favorite quotes is "Some people think they can and some think they can't and they're probably both right!" - Henry Ford.
4. He owns two dogs - Westies, to be exact.
5. Some of his favorite books include Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, The Wind-Chill Factor by Thomas Gifford and Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.

All information found at Andrew Gross' website: http://www.andrewgrossbooks.com. Photo credited to Jan Cobb.

Fictional Book, Fictional Author

It's not every day that a book written by a fictional character on a television show is published. Especially not a book based on said television show. If that's not enough to peak your interest, here's a brief synopsis of the new book Heat Wave, written by Richard Castle:

NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat is faced with an unusual challenge when the commissioner allows Pulitzer Prize-winning magazine journalist Jameson Rook to tag along with her while he researches an article. Sparks fly as they race to uncover the secrets behind the murder of a New York real-estate tycoon.

Fans of the popular TV show Castle, along with readers of popular mystery/romance fiction, may want to give this unique book a try.

Author Fest

Meeting the mastermind behind a great book is a one of a kind experience. It allows readers to come face-to-face with beloved authors and get behind the scenes insight into thought-provoking books. Whether you've never been to a book discussion and signing before or have been to many, you won't want to miss PCL's first ever "Author Fest"! This community celebration of authors and readers is sure to be a special event.

Featured authors include:

*Julie Longacre - The Dirty Old Ladies' Cookbook

*Diane McKinney-Whetstone - Trading Dreams at Midnight, Leaving Cecil Street and Blues Dancing

*Maria V. Snyder - Poison Study, Magic Study, Fire Study, Storm Glass and Sea Glass

*Dr. Gene Witiak - True Confessions of a Veterinarian and The Hug: A Veterinarian's Secret Potion

*Evan Burian - Football Legends of Pennsylvania and Ancient Rivals and Thanksgiving Day Football

*Members of the Bethlehem Writers Group - A Christmas Sampler: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Holiday Tales

This event is free and open to the public. It will be held Thursday, November 12th at 7pm in the South Whitehall Township building. For more information, please call the library at 610-398-1361 x13.

Which authors, if any, have you met at book discussions/signings?

Adult-Friendly YA Books

Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA,) celebrated each year during the third week in October. This week is dedicated to fostering a love of reading among teens. There are a plethora of great books aimed at teens but, the truth is, many of these books have the same appeal for adults. Most people are probably quite familiar with some of these genre-defying gems, such as Twilight and Harry Potter, but there are a host of other excellent adult-friendly YA books. In celebration of Teen Read Week, here are a few highly recommended books that both YA and adult readers are sure to enjoy:

*The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

*Graceling by Kristin Cashore

*The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

*The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

*Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

*Madapple by Christina Meldrum

*The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

*What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

Are there any YA books that you recommend?

Another "Lost Symbol" Twist

Marilyn Schlitz, president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences in California, woke up one day to find that Dan Brown's clever surprises weren't confined to the pages of his best-selling books. After reading rumors on Twitter that one of the main characters in The Lost Symbol was a researcher at the Institute, Schlitz picked up a copy and read through the night.

She was amazed to find many correlations not only between the Institute's research and the book's plot, but also between the fictional character Katherine Solomon and Schlitz herself. She noticed several experiments done at the Institute in The Lost Symbol, but also found much that tended more toward science fiction. In addition, despite a lack of physical similarities, Schlitz and Solomon both started their careers at age 19 and studied prayer and healing and distant intention and both women's father and brother were 32nd degree Masons and members of the Scottish Rite.

Schlitz was especially surprised to find herself and the Institute starring in The Lost Symbol because she had never spoken with Brown. The day the book was published, however, "Dan Brown sent a very sweet e-mail saying, 'As you know, I'm a big fan of the Institute of Noetic Sciences. I had hoped to give you a heads-up,' Schlitz says. 'But because of the security around the book, he wasn't able to. But he was hoping we were enjoying the attention'" (Hagerty). With increased activity on the Institute's website and calls for interviews with NPR and Dateline NBC, it seems as though Schlitz truly is finding this to be a pleasant surprise.

Hagerty, Barbara Bradley. "Woman Reads Dan Brown Novel, Discovers Herself." NPR. 12 Oct. 2009. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113676181>.

TV on DVD

It's that time of year again - when TV stations debut their new Fall lineups and air season premieres. There are old favorites and new pilots on every channel. This is the perfect time to check out the library's TV on DVD collection. Featuring a wide range of entertaining and educational programs, this collection has something for everyone. Search the library's catalog for programs such as 24, 30 Rock, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, Band of Brothers, Cranford, Damages, Gilmore Girls, House, M.D., Mad Men, Midsomer Murders, Lost, The Office, The Presidents, The Rosa Parks Story, Survivorman, The Tudors, Unlocking the Great Pyramid and many more!

Is there a particular show that you look forward to watching each season? Are there any new shows that you're hooked on?

Fall Fiction

Looking for something interesting to read this Fall? Here are a few highly recommended works of fiction:

*The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim - A beautiful piece of historical fiction, this book follows the life of a young girl in 20th century Korea

*The Longshot by Katie Kitamura - A must-read for sports fans, Kitamura's debut goes behind the scenes of Mixed Martial Arts to share the powerful story of an underdog fighting to prove himself as a competitor and understand himself as a man

*Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan - Family rivalries, unique characters and a dash of magic make this an interesting and enjoyable read

*The Arms Maker of Berlin by Dan Fesperman - This first-rate thriller involves four missing WWII documents and plenty of international intrigue

*Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon - A gripping tale of three distinct characters and their peculiarly connected lives from a National Book Award finalist

Banned Books Week

It's fitting that this blog can count Banned Books Week as its birthday, because both this special week and libraries worldwide champion intellectual freedom. Here are some fun facts in honor of Banned Books Week (Sept. 26 - Oct. 3, 2009):

*The 1987 Pulitzer Prize winning novel Beloved by Toni Morrison has been challenged multiple times on the grounds of violence, language and sexual content.

*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey was challenged by a California school district in 2000 after parents protested that teachers "can choose the best books, but they keep choosing this garbage over and over again."

*Little Red Riding Hood retold and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, a 1984 Caldecott Honor book, was pulled from recommended reading lists in two California school districts in the early 90s because one of the items the heroine carries in a basket for her grandmother is a bottle of wine.

Do you read banned books?

Thanks to the American Library Association and multiple newspapers, including The Seattle Times, for the image and information. For more info, please visit the ALA's Banned Books Week website.

Inaugural Post

Welcome to the Parkland Community Library Adult Services Department blog! Stop by weekly to read news from the library world and PCL, in particular. Find fascinating book reviews, useful websites, fun polls, new fiction, DVD, CD, video game, CD book and large print arrivals, program information and other enlightening snippets.