The 2011 Tournament of Books

Book lovers, start your reading! The Morning News has recently announced the contenders for this year's Tournament of Books. Now in it's seventh year, this event (presented by Field Notes and sponsored by Powell's Books) pits some of the past year's best books against each other in a bracket-style showdown. Some of this year's judges include popular fiction author Jennifer Weiner, Time assistant managing editor Radhika Jones and The Walkmen lead singer Hamilton Leithauser. You also have a chance to alter the course of events through the "Zombie Round" - where the two most popular books among readers that were earlier eliminated get a second chance to take down the semi-finalists. The winning book is crowned "The Rooster" aka "The Champion Book of the Year." The contest starts on Monday, March 7th, but the titles are announced early to give readers a chance to savor each book before the battle begins. Take a look at this year's nominees and get ready to cheer on your favorite in the 2011 Tournament of Books!

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Nox by Anne Carson
Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky
Room by Emma Donoghue
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
Bloodroot by Amy Greene
Next by James Hynes
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
Model Home by Eric Puchner
So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne
Savages by Don Winslow

January 2011's Must-Reads

Kick off the new year with some fantastic new books! This month's selections include a coming-of-age story with a dash of magic, an engaging new detective series set in South Africa, an enthralling treatment of the 1920 Wall Street bombing, a Shakespeare-quoting, lively trio of homeward-bound sisters and the poignant stories of military wives. If January is any indication, 2011 is sure to bring outstanding books for all!

Among Others by Jo Walton (Jan. 18th) - "World Fantasy Award-winner Walton (Tooth and Claw) turns the magical boarding school story inside out in this compelling coming-of-age tale...this outstanding...tale draws its strength from a solid foundation of sense-of-wonder and what-if." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The October Killings by Wessel Ebersohn (Jan. 18th) - "South African author Ebersohn kicks off a promising new series pairing psychologist Yudel Gordon...with Abigail Bukula, chief director of South Africa's justice department, who can more than hold her own with the brilliantly eccentric Gordon...The complexities of South Africa a decade after the end of white rule help fuel a compelling plot that builds to several dramatic climaxes." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld (Jan. 20th) - "The 1920 bombing of Wall Street, the most deadly act of terrorism in the United States until the Oklahoma blast of 1995, provides the framework for Rubenfeld's excellent follow-up to The Interpretation of Murder...Rubenfeld deftly wends his way through the shifting landscape with a historian's factual touch and a storyteller's eye for the dramatic and telling." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (Jan. 20th) - "The Weird Sisters in Eleanor Brown's delightful debut could have been weirder, considering their upbringing...With lively dialogue and witty collective narration, the sisters' untangling of their identities and relationships feels honest and wise, and the questions they raise about how we carry our childhood roles into our adult lives will resonate with all readers, especially those with their own weird sisters." - Amazon.com Review (Amazon Best Books of the Month, January 2011)

You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon (Jan. 20th) - "The crucial role of military wives becomes clear in Fallon's powerful, resonant debut collection, where women are linked by absence and a pervading fear that they'll become war widows...Fallon writes with both grit and grace: her depiction of military life is enlivened by telling details, from the early morning sound of boots stomping down the stairs to the large sign that tallies automobile fatalities of troops returned from Iraq. Significant both as war stories and love stories, this collection certifies Fallon as an indisputable talent." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Best of 2010

It's that time of year again...time to make plans and resolutions for a bright, shiny new year. Time to gleefully anticipate a fresh batch of promising books, movies, CDs and video games. But before you charge full steam ahead into 2011, take a moment to reflect on some of the highlights of the retreating year. Many a book, DVD, CD and video game brought joy and insight to the PCL community this year.

Peruse the Adult Services Department's picks for the best fiction of 2010, included below. The list is a combination of some of the best reviewed and most popular items at PCL.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - "As the finale to Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is not content to merely match the adrenaline-charged pace that made international bestsellers out of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire. Instead, it roars with an explosive storyline that blows the doors off the series and announces that the very best has been saved for last." - Amazon.com Review (Amazon Best Books of the Month, May 2010)

Room by Emma Donoghue - "Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances. A stunning and original novel of survival in captivity, readers who enter Room will leave staggered, as though, like Jack, they are seeing the world for the very first time." - Amazon.com Review (Amazon Best of the Month, September 2010)

Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey - "Richly atmospheric, this wonderful novel is picaresque and Dickensian, with humor and insight injected into an accurately rendered period of French and American history." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Faithful Place by Tana French - "Faithful Place is Tana French's best book yet (readers familiar with In the Woods and The Likeness will recognize this as an incredible feat), a compelling and cutting mystery with the hardscrabble, savage Mackey clan at its heart." - Amazon.com Review (Amazon Best Books of the Month, July 2010)

A Visit from the Good Squad by Jennifer Egan - "Readers will be pleased to discover that the star-crossed marriage of lucid prose and expertly deployed postmodern switcheroos that helped shoot Egan to the top of the genre-bending new school is alive and well in this graceful yet wild novel." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee - "Powerful, deeply felt, compulsively readable and imbued with moral gravity, the novel does not peter out into easy redemption. It's a harrowing tale: bleak, haunting, often heartbreaking - and not to be missed." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Great House by Nicole Krauss - "This stunning work showcases Krauss's consistent talent...Much like in Krauss's The History of Love, the sharply etched characters seem at first arbitrarily linked across time and space, but Krauss pulls together the disparate elements, settings, characters, and fragile connective tissue to form a formidable and haunting mosaic of loss and profound sorrow." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman - "In his zinger of a debut, Rachman deftly applies his experience as foreign correspondent and editor to chart the goings-on at a scrappy English-language newspaper in Rome...As the ragtag staff faces down the implications of the paper's tilt into oblivion, there are more than enough sublime moments, unexpected turns and sheer inky wretchedness to warrant putting this on the shelf next to other great newspaper novels." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell - "Every page is overfull with language, events, and characters, exuberantly saturated in the details of the time and the place but told from a knowing and undeniably modern perspective. It's a story that seems to contain a thousand worlds in one." - Amazon.com Review (Amazon Best Books of the Month, July 2010)

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What were your favorite books of 2010? Stay tuned for upcoming posts on the best CDs, DVDs and video games of 2010!

Also, don't forget to check out the Youth Services blog for lists of the best Picture, Juvenile and YA books of the year and the Reference Services blog for the best Non-Fiction titles of the year.

December 2010's Must-Reads

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, you may be on the lookout for the perfect gift for loved ones. You may also be longing for a good book to help escape the hubub of this busy time of year. Look no further than this month's list of must-read books for the solution to both quandaries!

The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia A. McKillip (Dec. 7th) - World Fantasy Award winner McKillip (The Bell at Sealey Head) offers a rich, resonant story of poetry, riddles, mystery, and magic...McKillip seduces readers with lyrical prose; intriguing, complex characters; and resonant riddles-within-riddles." - Publisher's Weekly

The Four Stages of Cruelty by Keith Hollihan (Dec. 7th) - "Hollihan manages to combine a labyrinthine plot, full of intrigue, secret societies, and arcane lore, with a nuanced, character-driven narrative that provides insights into prison life while keeping readers guessing until the last page." - Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings (Dec. 7th) - "Meekings is a bangup storyteller, and his easy handling of rich and varied material - rustic splendor, class warfare, profound anguish, drastic social changes - will keep readers apt. This is a beautifully told love story as well as an absorbing study in Chinese folklore and history." - Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O'Neal (Dec. 21st) - "O'Neal's tale of strong-willed women and torn family loyalties is a cut above the standard women's fiction fare, held together by lovingly sketched characters and real emotion." - Publisher's Weekly

The Radleys by Matt Haig (Dec. 28th) - "This witty vampire novel from British author Haig (The Possession of Mr. Cave) provides what jaded fans of the Twilight series need, not True Blood exactly, but some fresh blood in the form of a true blue family." - Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

Knit, Purl, Read

If you like a clever mystery that is short on gory details but long on quirky characters, then cozy mysteries are for you. (See my previous post to learn more.) If you also love to knit, then knitting cozy mysteries are right up your alley.

There are many sub-genres in the cozy category, such as mysteries featuring knitting, cooking and/or baking, tea houses, coffee houses, wine country, animals, antiques and many more interesting themes. Read on for a list of popular knitting cozy mysteries available at the library.

Barbara Bretton - Sugar Maple series - Meet Chloe Hobbs, owner of Sticks and String knitting shop in Sugar Maple, Vermont...and a sorcerer's daughter. Sparks fly when she meets human police officer Luke MacKenzie, who is hard at work investigating Sugar Maple's first murder. Perfect for the reader who enjoys a breezy mystery, knitting, romance and a dash of magic.

Monica Ferris - Needlecraft Mysteries series - When Betsy Devonshire's sister Margot is found dead in her needlecraft store in Excelsior, Minnesota, Betsy begins her own investigation. She finds plenty of suspects, including a disgruntled landlord and a scheming competitor. Recommended for fans of strong characters, well-paced plots and needlecraft.

Sally Goldenbaum - Seaside Knitters Mystery series - Welcome to Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, home of Isabel "Izzy" Chambers' knitting shop and the Seaside Knitters, a diverse group of women who meet weekly to knit...and solve the occasional murder. This series is great for anyone who enjoys knitting with others (such as members of the library's Knitting Circle!)

Maggie Sefton - Knitting Mystery series - Kelly Flynn travels to Fort Conner, Colorado for the funeral of her Aunt Helen, who was recently murdered. Although the local police have written the death off as the result of a random break-in, Kelly is not so sure. She launches her own investigation and learns to knit at the House of Lambspun. Both journeys prove to be enlightening. Recommended for first-time knitters and those who remember the triumphs and tribulations of their own knitting beginnings.

What are your favorite cozy mysteries?

Harry Potter

As the latest glimpse into the enticing world of Harry Potter rapidly approaches (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I hits movie theaters in a mere nine hours!) interest in "the boy who lived" is back on the rise.

The world's fascination is intensified by the fact that this is the second to last part of a long and incredible journey. All of the books have been published and now only two movies remain to be savored. Instead of wringing your hands in despair, use them to pick up a great book, similar in style to Harry Potter. Also, enjoy some fun facts and links to enhance your understanding of this blockbuster series.

Harry Potter Read-Alikes

Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones - "...this comic fantasy follows two orphans, one of whom is a witch, when they are summoned to live in a castle full of necromancers." Publisher's Weekly

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper - "Susan Cooper, in her five-title Dark is Rising sequence, creates a world where the conflict between good and evil reaches epic proportions. She ranks with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien in her ability to deliver a moral vision in the context of breathtaking adventure." Amazon.com Review

Eragon by Christopher Paolini - "Here's a great big fantasy that you can pull over your head like a comfy old sweater and disappear into for a whole weekend." Amazon.com Review

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - "In The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman has written a masterpiece that transcends genre. It is a children's book that will appeal to adults, a fantasy novel that will charm even the most hardened realist." Amazon.com Review

Graceling by Kristin Cashore - "In this debut fantasy novel, Cashore treats readers to compelling and eminently likable characters and a story that draws them in from the first paragraph." School Library Journal (Starred Review)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is, in turn, beautiful, frightening, wise." New York Times

The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge - "The author is as inventive with language as she is with social and cultural constructs. This novel is just plain fun." School Library Journal

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin - "...Earthsea is a stunning fantasy world that grabs quickly at out hearts, pulling us deeply into its imaginary realms." Amazon.com Review

Fun Facts

*The Hogwarts motto, "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus" means "never tickle a sleeping dragon."

*The last name Dumbledore means "Bumblebee" in Old English.

*During the filming of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the part of Dobby was played by a ball on a stick (he was later added digitally.)

*The newspaper headline "Harry Potter and the Triwizard Tournament," seen in the film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was considered for the title of the fourth book.

*Several members of the Black family are named after astronomical objects, including Sirius, Regulus, Andromeda, Arcturus, Bellatrix and Cygnus.

*On one of the many occasions in the book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that Professor Slughorn gets Ron's name wrong, he calls him Rupert (Chapter 22.) In all movie adaptations of the Harry Potter books Ron Weasley is played by Rupert Grint.

Recommended Websites

jkrowling.com - The official website of the genius behind Harry Potter

harrypotter.scholastic.com - Explore Harry's magical world for yourself - Repel a dementor! Transfigure a rock! Unlock Moody's trunk!

Fun facts found at www.imdb.com

November 2010's Must-Reads

If you are boldly attempting the NaNoWriMo challenge, you may not have too much time to devote to reading this month. On the other hand, you might appreciate a good book to make your procrastination interesting and/or to help inspire your own words. If you have no idea what NaNoWriMo is (see my earlier post on the subject) and just need help finding your next favorite book, read on for some of November's best and brightest.

The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick (Nov. 1st) - "Hollick does a remarkable job of bringing to life a little known but powerful queen, as well as the milieu and world she inhabited. The scope is vast and the cast is huge, but Hollick remains firmly in control, giving readers an absorbing plot that never lags over the course of a fat, satisfying book." - Publisher's Weekly

The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent (Nov. 8th) - "Kent doesn't disappoint in this prequel to The Heretic's Daughter, taking readers back to Massachusetts before the Salem witch trials as strong-willed 23-year-old Martha Allen falls in love with strong-armed hired hand Thomas Carrier...Kent weaves in references to her first novel while creating an immersive stand-alone...Kent brings colonial America to life by poking into its dark corners and finding its emotional and personal underpinnings. - Publisher's Weekly

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (Nov. 9th) - "A letter posted in 1941 finally reaches its destination in 1992 with powerful repercussions for Edie Burchill, a London book editor, in this enthralling romantic thriller from Australian author Morton." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King (Nov. 9th) - "King fans (and those who have always wanted to give him a shot) will devour this collection of campfire tales where marriages sway under the weight of pitch-black secrets, greed and guilt poison and fester, and the only thing you can count on is that 'there are always worse things waiting.' Full Dark, No Stars features four one-sitting yarns showcasing King at his gritty, gruesome, giddy best, so be sure to check under the bed before getting started." - Amazon.com Review (Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2010)

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley (Nov. 11th) - Mosley (Known to Evil) plays out an intriguing premise in his powerful latest: a man is given a second shot at life, but at the price of a hastened death...Mosley's depiction of the indignities of old age is heartbreaking, and Ptolemy's grace and decency make for a wonderful character and a moving novel." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

The Baker Street Irregular by Jon Lellenberg (Nov. 30th) - "Lellenberg...makes an impressive fiction debut with this gripping period spy novel...His own background as former director of the Pentagon's special operations bureau's policy and strategy office serves him well in recreating the grind and tedium of actual intelligence work." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

*If you do happen to be participating in NaNoWriMo, honorable mention goes to the book you are writing. Keep up the good work!

October 2010's Must-Reads

As the month and season change, so does the list of must-read books. This month's list includes lyrical storytelling from the Pacific Northwest, a thoughtful and romantic monster, an intriguing mystery set in 1686 Paris, distinct stories linked by a perplexing writing desk and a promising crime novel debut. Just enough to keep you happily reading all month long.

Mink River by Brian Boyle (Oct 1st) - "The fantasical blends with the natural elements in this original, postmodern, shimmering tapestry of smalltown life that profits from the oral traditions of the town's population of Native Americans and Irish immigrants. Those intrigued by the cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest will treasure every lyrical sentence." - Publisher's Weekly

Frankenstein's Monster by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe (Oct. 5th) - "The eponymous monster of gothic horror rises once again in this well-wrought sequel to Mary Shelley's classic tale...O'Keefe credibly extrapolates the moods and thoughts of the monster from how Shelley first imagined them in one of the better recent treatments of the Frankenstein theme." - Publisher's Weekly

Great House by Nicole Krauss (Oct. 5th) - "This stunning work showcases Krauss's consistent talent. The novel consists of four stories divided among eight chapters, all touching on themes of loss and recovery, and anchored to a massive writing desk that resurfaces among numerous households, much to the bewilderment and existential tension of those in its orbit..." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

The Rhetoric of Death by Judith Rock (Oct. 5th) - "Rock's superb historical debut opens with 28-year-old Charles du Luc arriving in 1686 Paris to serve as a teacher of rhetoric in a Jesuit school...With an experienced writer's ease, Rock incorporates details of the political issues of the day into a suspenseful story line." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva (Oct. 12th) - "The serial torching of Mount Hope, a deteriorating Providence, R.I., neighborhood, sparks an investigative reporter's mission to smoke out the firebug in DeSilva's promising debut...A twist in the tale will keep reader's turning the pages until the bitter end." - Publisher's Weekly

Book Trends: Scandinavian Crime Fiction

Vampires not your thing? Not to worry, there's another trend blazing up the bestseller charts right now. Scandinavian crime fiction is hotter than ever here in the states, and abroad. If you don't know the girl with the dragon tattoo , chances are you soon will. She's Lisbeth Salander who, along with Mikael Blomkvist, is the complicated star of Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy. This wildly popular series (with support from the publications of some consistently first-rate Scandinavian authors) is leading the movement to put Scandinavian crime fiction on the map and in your hands. Check out some of the most popular authors in this genre and start your international love affair today.

Karin Fossum - Inspector Sejer series
Peter Hoeg
Arnaldur Indriðason - Reykjavik Murder Mysteries
Camilla Läckberg - Patrik Hedstrom
Stieg Larsson - Millenium Trilogy
Henning Mankell - Kurt Wallander series
Jo Nesbø - Harry Hole series

What are your thoughts on these authors? Any to add to the list?

Oprah's Book Club

Next week marks the 14th anniversary of Oprah's Book Club. Launched in 1996, the club has helped foster a love of reading and book clubs around the world, along with rocketing many authors to stardom. It has evolved beyond simply recommending and discussing books. Fans can now receive weekly book club newsletters, scan a variety of book lists, see and read author interviews, take book-related quizes, participate in book-related classes and much more.

Celebrate this phenomenon by reading one of the club's books! The list can be found on the library's website from the homepage, or by clicking here. To experience all the club has to offer, go to Oprah's official book club website by clicking here. Don't forget to mark your calendar, because a new club selection will be announced on Sept. 17th. See some highlights from the selections below.

The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard - The first selection (1996)
Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan - The latest selection (2009)
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey - Possibly the most controversial selection (2005)
The Meanest Thing to Say, The Treasure Hunt and The Best Way to Play by Bill Cosby - The only juvenile fiction selections (1997)
Toni Morrison - Most selected author (Song of Solomon, 1996 / Paradise, 1998 / The Bluest Eye, 2000 / Sula, 2002)

For more info, check out Kate Pickert's article for Time titled "Oprah's Book Club" and/or Marjorie Kehe's article for The Christian Science Monitor called "What's Next for Oprah - And Her Book Club."

September 2010's Must-Reads

Something new to look forward to is a regularly scheduled post of each month's must-read fiction. Here you will find info about some of the best books being published in a given month. Ready your bookmarks and place your holds - here are the must-reads of September!

Ape House by Sara Gruen (Sept. 7th) - "Gruen's astute, wildly entertaining tale of interspecies connection is a novel of verve and conscience." - Booklist (Starred Review)

The Countess and the King by Susan Holloway Scott (Sept. 7th) - "In this vivid portrait of Katherine Sedley, mistress of King James II, Scott unravels the intricate web of court intrigues that has long fascinated historical romance enthusiasts." - Publisher's Weekly

The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass (Sept. 7th) - "Glass handles the coalescing plot elements with astute insights into the complexity of family relationships, the gulf between social classes, and our modern culture of excess to create a dramatic, thought-provoking, and immensely satisfying novel." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Revew)

Room by Emma Donoghue (Sept. 13th) - "Despite its profoundly disturbing premise, Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances. A stunning and original novel of survival in captivity, readers who enter Room will leave staggered..." Amazon.com Review (Amazon Best of the Month selection, September 2010)

Fame by Daniel Kehlmann (Sept. 14th) - "Layers of connection, irony, despair, and humor distinguish this masterful work and announce Kehlman as a worthy heir to Bowles and Camus." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

Book Trends: Vampires

The latest and greatest trend in books right now is paranormal fiction. It's not for everyone, but many readers are hungry for all things supernatural. This subject has been hot for some time now, thanks in large part to the Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse series'. Bella, Edward, Jacob, Sookie, Bill Compton and True Blood are all virtually household names at this point. Most likely you've at least heard of them, if not read all the books, watched every movie/episode and Googled your way to every fan site available. If you can't wait for the next Sookie book or True Blood episode and don't know what to read now that the Twilight saga has come to a close, sink your teeth into one of these popular works of vampire fiction:

*Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton (Adult Fiction) - Vampire hunter and detective Anita Blake lives in a world where most people think the undead are just humans with fangs - but she knows better AND she carries a captivating secret of her own.

*Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward (Adult Fiction) - A war rages in Caldwell, New York between vampires and their slayers. A secret band of vampire brothers, called the Black Dagger Brotherhood, solemnly defend their race and dare to find love in a dangerous world.

*The Hollows series by Kim Harrison (Adult Fiction) - Bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan works to keep Cincinnati, and herself, safe from supernatural lawbreakers.

*House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast (YA Fiction) - 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's life is forever altered when she is "Marked" by a vampyre tracker and starts to "Change" into an actual vampyre. As if that weren't enough, she must leave her family and friends to live at the House of Night - a boarding school for young vampyres.

*Insatiable by Meg Cabot (Adult Fiction) - Sparks fly in a romantic triangle between psychic TV writer Meena Harper, Romanian history professor/vampire Lucien Antonescu and vampire hunter Alaric Wulf, all while a vampire war brews in NYC.

*Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine (YA Fiction) - When 16-year-old Claire Danvers starts college early, due to advanced placement, she soon has worse problems than making friends and adjusting to new courses. Along with her school, Texas Prairie University, Morganville is also home to vampires and vampire hunters. Claire must band together with three unique friends to survive.

*Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead (YA Fiction) - Best friends Rose (half-human/half-vampire) and Lissa (mortal vampire princess) must defend themselves against the dangerous enemies out to get them, along with navigating peer pressure, gossip and new relationships at school.

*The Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith (YA Fiction) - This series was the inspiration for the popular CW show of the same name. A dangerous love triangle ensues when popular high schooler Elena meets handsome, but dangerous, vampire brothers Stefan and Damon.

Have you read any of these? Do you have a favorite vampire book/series?

Detectives by the Book

Avid readers can attest to the fact that many movies and television shows are based on books. For example, three incredibly popular movies, Mystic River, Gone, Baby, Gone and Shutter Island, were all based on books written by Dennis Lehane. The list of movies and television shows based on books is impressive, but this post is all about detective fiction that has been translated to the small screen.

There is something intrisically interesting about solving a mystery. Keys to success in both detective series' and TV shows include quirky characters, puzzling crimes and an evolving storyline...of course, some romantic tension never hurts. Shows based on books already have a built in audience - the legions of fans who love the books. Who wouldn't like to see their beloved characters in real life? This doesn't always keep a show on air, however, as was the case for Women's Murder Club - the ABC drama based on James Patterson's series of the same name that only ran for a year. Other stories enjoy long-lasting popularity in both book and TV format.

*Here are a few TV detective shows based on books:

Bones (FOX) - based on the Temperance Brennan series written by Kathy Reichs and based on the author, herself

Jesse Stone made-for-TV movies (CBS) - based on Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (HBO) - based on Alexander McCall Smith's series by the same name

Rizzoli and Isles (TNT) - based on the Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles series by Tess Gerritsen

*On the flip side, here are some books that were inspired by TV shows:

Heat Wave by Richard Castle - based on the ABC show Castle

Mr. Monk series by Lee Goldberg - based on the USA Network show Monk

Murder, She Wrote series by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain - based on the CBS Network show Murder, She Wrote

What are your favorite detective novels and/or TV shows?

Great Summer Reads: International Literature

Avoid luggage fees and traffic by experiencing the world through these great reads. From Germany to Syria and beyond, each of these books transport the reader to a unique place and time. Peruse the list of suggestions, along with highlights from a Publisher's Weekly review, and place a hold today!

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - "Fans of Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind and new readers alike will be delighted with this gothic semiprequel."

Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky - "...a stark, moving tale of resiliency and survival."

The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas - "Adamsberg's indirect approach, his ability to sense cruelty and to let solutions percolate to the surface make him one of the more intriguing police detectives in a long time."

The Dark Side of Love by Rafik Schami - "...despite the grim plot line of revenge, this is essentially a joyous book, an exile's book of love and a surprisingly fast read."

Delhi Noir edited by Hirsch Sawhney - "Few books can alter one's perception about the state of a society, but this does, while delivering noir that's first-class in any light."

The Disappearance at Pere-Lachaise by Claude Izner - "...the increasingly tight plot and several deftly constructed characters keep the story moving."

Monsieur Pain by Roberto Bolano - "One of Bolano's first novels, this already displays his brilliant, alchemical gift for transmuting the dead-ends of life into sinister mysteries."

Once on a Moonless Night by Dai Sijie - "It's fitting that a story of a love affair with language should be written so beautifully."

The Water's Edge by Karin Fossum - "...Fossum sets in motion an inevitable collision that's as unsettling as it is unexpected."

The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho - "Coelho's latest blends spiritual allegory with elements of a thriller..."

Great Summer Reads: Adult-Friendly YA

As promised, here are more reading suggestions to add some zest to your summer.

Think Young Adult books are just for teens? You'd be surprised to learn that many have cross-over appeal. Plenty of adults enjoy them just as much as teens. Pick up one of these popular books today!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - Native American coming-of-age tale

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd - historical love story set during the Ireland "Troubles" of the '80s

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti - based on the true story of a German teen who started a resistance against the Nazis

Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman - an award-winning account of the life and love of Charles and Emma Darwin

Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers - a troubled teen finds himself through the support of his girlfriend, uncle and Debbie Harry

Going Bovine by Libba Bray - humorous fantasy adventure

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - a futuristic suspense novel with current social commentary

The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge - imaginative adventure/fantasy story

Maximum Ride series by James Patterson - thrilling sci-fi saga

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury - a cross-country mystery

Do you have any favorite Young Adult books?

Great Summer Reads: New Authors

Sitting on a park bench on a sunny afternoon, relaxing on the front porch as a warm breeze drifts by, lying on the beach under a bright umbrella...all excellent places to read during the summer. Brighten up your summer with a book by these brand new authors:

Bellfield Hall by Anna Dean - historical mystery

Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines - humorous thriller

Fireworks over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff - historical romance

The Gin Closet by Leslie Jamison - family drama

The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors by Michele Young - Stone - unique slice of life

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman - newspaper novel

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - romance in England

Once a Spy by Keith Thomson - action-packed thriller

The Sandbox by David Zimmerman - fictionalized Iraq war story

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman - Southern coming-of-age tale

For more summer reading fun, take O's Summer Reading Quiz and find out which of the books on Oprah's 2010 Summer Reading List is best for you.

Also, keep an eye on The PCL Reader all summer long for more Great Summer Reads!

First Impressions

What is it about a book that draws you in? The cover? The title? For the following books it's the first sentence that makes all the difference. It's nearly impossible to stop reading once the peculiarity of the first line grabs you.

"Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last." - Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund

"I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974." - Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenedies

"It was bitter cold, the air electric with all that had not happened yet." - A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." - The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley

"In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly-fishing." A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

"If I could tell you one thing about my life it would be this: when I was seven years old the mailman ran over my head." - The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." - 1984 by George Orwell

"Mum starved herself for suffrage, Grandmother claiming it was just like Mum to take a cause too far." - A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert

"I remember with utter clarity the first great shock of my life." - Trinity by Leon Uris

"It was a pleasure to burn." - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

"It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love." - Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"The last camel collapsed at noon." - The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett


For more info read or listen to NPR's "Famous First Words," check out The Guardian's Books Blog post "What's Your Favourite First Line?" and peruse American Book Review's list of the "100 Best First Lines from Novels."

What is your favorite first line from a book?

Armchair Vacations

Travel the world this summer from the comfort of your favorite chair! Set sail on the open sea, travel to the wild west, explore present day and first-century Jerusalem, enjoy a sunny visit to the Outer Banks, head to a state fair, brave a futuristic America and more! Start your journey today by checking out one of these fascinating books:

The Barbary Pirates by William Dietrich - travel from France to Greece to Italy on a non-stop adventure in search of the Mirror of Archimedes with early 19th century adventurer Ethan Gage.

Beautiful Maria of My Soul by Oscar Hijuelos - explore mid-20th century Cuba through Hijuelos' richly drawn and enthralling characters and story.

Blue-Eyed Devil by Robert B. Parker - head back to the wild west for a rowdy ride with fast-talking, gun-slinging lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch.

The Galilean Secret by Evan Drake Howard - if you enjoyed The DaVinci Code, you won't want to miss this tale of religious intrigue set in both present day and first-century Jerusalem.

The Outer Banks House by Diann Ducharme - spend some time in Reconstruction North Carolina with seventeen-year-old Abigail Sinclair as she learns about love and life.

The Passage by Justin Cronin - fans of vampire fiction should try this highly anticipated first in a planned trilogy, set in a futuristic America.

Pearl of China by Anchee Min - travel from China to America and back again through this fictionalized account of Pearl S. Buck's unique life.

State Fair by Earlene Fowler - enjoy a trip to California's San Celina Mid-State Fair, complete with quilt exhibits and a clever whodunit plot.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Fiction

Looking for a good book? Pick up one of these Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction today! Each novel includes an excerpt from its Publishers Weekly review.

2010
Tinkers by Paul Harding - "The real star is Harding's language, which dazzles whether he's describing the workings of clocks, sensory images of nature, the many engaging side characters who populate the book, or even a short passage on how to build a bird nest. This is an especially gorgeous example of novelistic craftsmanship."

2009
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - "Thirteen linked tales from Strout (Abide with Me, etc.) present a heart-wrenching, penetrating portrait of ordinary coastal Mainers living lives of quiet grief intermingled with flashes of human connection."

2008
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz - "...Junot Diaz's dark and exuberant first novel makes a compelling case for the multiperspectival view of a life, wherein an individual cannot be known or understood in isolation from the history of his family and his nation."

2007
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - "McCarthy establishes himself here as the closest thing in American literature to an Old Testament prophet, trolling the blackest registers of human emotion to create a haunting and grim novel about civilization's slow death after the power goes out."

2006
March by Geraldine Brooks - "Brooks's luminous second novel...imagines the Civil War experiences of Mr. March, the absent father in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women...Brooks's affecting, beautifully written novel drives home the intimate horrors and ironies of the Civil War and the difficulty of living honestly with the knowledge of human suffering."

2005
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - "Robinson's prose is beautiful, shimmering and precise; the revelations are subtle but never muted when they come, and the careful telling carries the breath of suspense...Many writers try to capture life's universals of strength, struggle, joy and forgiveness - but Robinson truly succeeds in what is destined to become her second classic."

For a complete list of Pulizer Prize-winning fiction, click here. Visit the Pulitzer Prize homepage to learn more about this prestigious award.

The "Lost" Books

Fans of the hit television show Lost are treated to more than just an intriguing story line. The show also features many unique literary references. According to co-creator, executive producer and writer Damon Lindelof, the inclusion of such books is due to "...the fact that we've been influenced by literature in the way we've shaped the show, and it's a nod to that process...We pick the books with a great deal of meticulous thought and specificity and talk about what the thematic implications of picking a certain book are, why we're using it in the scene and what we want to audience to deduce from that choice." (Bradner)

Whether you watch the show or not, you may want to pick up one of these featured titles:

*Watership Down by Richard Adams
*A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
*Lancelot by Walker Percy
*Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
*Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
*The Chosen by Chaim Potok
*Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard

For more info, check out the Oprah Book Club article "Get Lost in Sawyer's Bookshelf," and read the Los Angeles Times piece "The books of 'Lost' and TV-inspired book clubs."

Bradner, Liesl. "The books of 'Lost' and TV-inspired book clubs." Los Angeles Times. 19 March 2009. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/03/literature-lost.html.
Hellstern, Melissa. "Get Lost in Sawyer's Bookshelf." Oprah's Book Club. 24 March 2010. http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/Get-in-Sawyers-Bookshelf.