Book suggestion: this year's Carnegie Medalist, Timothy Egan

Over a year ago, I read Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Times.

It won the National Book Award, and well-earned.  This June, Mr Egan won the Carnegie Medal for nonfiction for his newest book, Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher.  I just read Booklist's review, by Brad Hooper.  Hooper collected persuasive comments from Egan about why he wrote this book, now; I won't steal from him but let you enjoy it directly.  Luckily Short Nights is already on order.  Check with us at the library to reserve your turn to read it.

The Shadow Catcher was Edward S. Curtis, famous today for photos like this (Evening in Hopi Land shows three Hopi women gathering water in a sepia photograph):

In the Booklist interview, Mr Egan praises Nathaniel Philbrick's, The Last Stand, a book about the Battle of Little Big Horn (below).  It is already in the library.  Last year I read Mr Philbrick's Why Read Moby Dick. We also have his Mayflower in the stacks, one I've had my eyes on for a while.

   

History is neither dry nor boring when presented by these authors.  They present driving drama and humanity, full of foibles.  If you gave up on nonfiction back in school because of textbooks, I hope you will give one of these a try.  If I am wrong, please let me know (in the comments below or during a visit to the library).  Thanks!

Sample these titles for free on your computer, phone, or e-reader

Major publishers want to whet your reading appetite.  Check out this link for excerpts and first chapters of new books.  These titles will receive a lot of advertising and media-hype hoping to catch your eye.  If you have the time, let us know in the comments whether (after reading several) they deserve attention on par with the media campaigns.
A similar title from last year is available if the titles or authors catch your eye and/or jog your memory for last year's blockbuster books.
If the image above does not load, then try looking for Buzz Books 2013 at your favorite online ebook store (Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook, iBookstore, Kobo, Sony, Google Play, Powell's, etc.).  The ISBN is 9780985491086.
Library staff are not able to read, review, or even hear about every new book available.  (This article offers a quick explanation of just how many books are released every year.)  Marie adds over 3,000 titles each year to Ruidoso Public Library's shelves.  When publishers release over 300,000 new books (not counting self-published or anniversary releases), it is easy to see how 1% looks lovely on our shelves, but is only a single drop in a very large bucket.  We welcome your insight and input on which titles to watch.

Christian Fiction sampler from New York Public Library

Many of my ideas for posts arise from other blogs and articles in the library "blogosphere," such as today's.  A librarian from New York's Public Library wrote about how to find one popular genre of stories.  I have edited the article and links to reflect the Ruidoso Public Library's collection.

If you have questions about a specific genre or format (such as audio or graphic novels) please ask in the comments below, by email, or phone.

God in the Stacks: The Scoop on Christian Fictionby Jean Harripersaud, Bronx Library CenterMarch 27, 2013

You can say it started in 1678 with the publication of John Bunyan's Pilgrim Progress. Then along came Hall Caine'sThe Christian (1897) and C.S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia in the 1950s. Fast forward to the 21st century, major news magazines such as Time were talking about the Left Behind series. Yes, my interest was piqued when I read a 2002 Time magazine cover article titled "Apocalypse Now"about the popularity of the series. I checked them out of the library and read each one in order. I was intrigued and fascinated.

I decided to give a little more attention to the genre. My interest intensified over the last few years as I observed the genre really taking off and expanding into many sub-genres. I found various list of authors online and decided I would read at least one book by every author in the genre. It was an ambitious feat and I faced the challenge of new authors being published regularly and also, reading every book published by an author I particularly like.

I also discovered many authors not mentioned on the Internet by doing a keyword search in the catalog on "Christian fiction." ...[F]ound the king of legal thrillers — Robert Whitlow.  We have Jimmy in large print.

Christian Fiction can be defined as follows, according to a Library Journal Book Buzz on Christian Fiction (2009):  

"...Most readers would agree that there is a core of biblically-based attitudes, values, and actions, and likely there would be very little, if any, profanity, sex or violence. Generally, Christian fiction has religious themes infused into a regular genre story. ... Christian fiction gives readers characters and situations that demonstrate the growth of faith, depth and breadth of moral responsibility, the possibility of conversion and redemption, and examples of Christian living for men and women of all ages, races and cultures."

Christian Fiction are books written by primarily Christian authors with one or more of the following characteristics: an overarching Christian theme, embracing Christian values and behavior, characters who have faith in God. The Christy Awards and later on the Carol Awards were established to recognize best fiction published in the genre. Pilgrim Progress is an allegorical work of the journey of a Christian from this world to heaven. In the Chronicles of Narnia, Jesus is Aslan the Lion, the ever present guide. The Left Behind series is a fictional series based on Biblical prophecy and historical facts about events regarding the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus as King.

If you have read and enjoyed faith based fiction, here are some others you may enjoy. You can borrow them from the Ruidoso Public Library with a library card. If you are a digital reader, you can download and read library e-books for free. I have enjoyed many of them on my tablet while waiting for appointments.

Amish Fiction

Beverly Lewis - The Courtship of Nellie Fisher: The Longing, The Parting, The Forbidden
Mary Ellis - Abigail's New Hope

Fiction

Jonathan Cahn - The Harbinger
Karen Kingsbury - The Bailey Flanigan Series: Leaving, Longing, Loving

Historical Fiction

Lynn Austin - Song of Redemption
Kathleen Morgan - A Love Forbidden
Janette Oke - Dana's Valley
Tracie Peterson - Hope Rekindled
Francine Rivers -  A Voice in the Wind

Legal Thriller

John Grisham - The Street Lawyer, The Last Testament
Robert Whitlow - Jimmy

Murder/Mystery/Crime

Davis Bunn - The Amber Room
Ted Dekker - Thr3e

Romance/Romantic Suspense

Colleen Coble - Lonestar Sanctuary
Catherine Palmer - The Happy Room

Supernatural/Science Fiction

Frank Peretti - This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness, Monster, and The Visitation

William P. Young - The Shack, Crossroads

Great Resources: Book Spot, Academics Review;School Board Elections; & New Artist on display at the library

When you need a book suggestion at the middle of the night (and the library is closed) BookSpot.com is a place to try.  It has discussion questions, reading lists, and even recommendations on which e-reader to buy.  If you want help finding a new genre, author, or read-a-likes (because you already read everything by your favorite author), this is one place to start.  Other options are GoodReads and Shelfari, which have more social networking and splashier, newer graphics.  While these latter two request a login, you do not need an account to glean ideas for what to read next.

The next place I want to share is Academics Review.  Its mission statement:

"Academics Review is an association of academic professors, researchers, teachers and credentialed authors from around the world who are committed to the unsurpassed value of the peer review in establishing sound science. We stand against falsehoods, half-baked assertions and theories or claims not subjected to this kind of rigorous review. "  

In my opinion, Academics Review is Snopes.com with PhDs and credentials.  Both sites are a great first stop after receiving an email from a friend or a suggestion to watch a movie or read a book that sounds like fear-mongering.  Key phrases in the quote above are "credentialed authors" and "peer review."  When an idea, argument, or proposal--and its author(s)--can withstand the dynamic dialogue of other, widely-recognizable specialists in the same field, the idea gains merit and becomes more worth your while.  If you have checked out the DVD, Genetic Roulette, from the library, you might want to peruse a few responses at Academics Review:
http://academicsreview.org/reviewed-content/genetic-roulette/

Inform yourself from multiple perspectives, especially on these hot button topics.

As a public library, we present many different opinions to minimize the risk of presenting one biased view.  Part of life is learning how to recognize what information to question, when, and how.  If you can, read, or listen to the audio of, Daniel Kahneman's book Thinking Fast and Slow to help attune your brain to bias and spin.  In today's world, the flood of information, through the internet, on television, or radio, requires these new skills.  Librarians specialize in learning them. But more importantly, we specialize in teaching you or guiding you through.  Think of us as Sherpas to the mountain of information.

P.S. School Board Elections are Tuesday, February 5, at the Convention Center.

P.P.S.  Carla Lee Morrow's art is now on display at Ruidoso Public Library.  If you are not able to see her originals at the library, her website is DragonLadyArt.com.  You can view her touring schedule, too.

Books under discussion

Back in October, a local book group met and discussed these books.  Check with us to see when they will meet again.  Titles available in the library are hyperlinked to see if currently available or request your copy.

The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall

Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray

Wild Card Quilt: The Ecology of Home by Janisse Ray

Dr Orloff's Guide to Intuitive Healing 5 Steps to Physical, Emotional, and Sexual Wellness by Judith Orloff, MD

In the Water They Can't See You Cry by Amanda Beard

True Stories of Censorship--Battles in America's Libraries edited by Nye/Borco

Hearts and Hands: Creating Community in Violent Times by Luis Rodriguez

Always Running by Luis Rodriguez

War Brides

Silver like Dust--One Family's Story of America's Japanese Internment by Kimi Cunningham

Book review: Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Cover from her website

Several friends encouraged me to read this book (from Ruidoso's Book Store, Books Etc.--have you seen their new website?).  I am so glad I finally took their advice.

Written by Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess, Let's Pretend This Never Happened is a laugh-til-you-cry-it's-so-funny-because-it's-true series of essays (blogs) on life.  At several chapters I had to put the book down to catch my breath and let my vision clear (of tears) so I could continue.

When I read biographies or memoirs, I find I learn about myself and people in general.  What we are thinking, why those thought chains run as they do, and these help me feel like I can make a little more sense of the world.  Not only do the author and I share a first name (who doesn't these days?), but her family stories help me feel happy about who I am and appreciate how I came to be so.

The creature on the cover is a taxidermy mouse, dressed a la Shakespeare.  It is the most tame story in the book, which explores her childhood with a father who worked in taxidermy, at home, through her years working in Human Resources and moving to the Texas Hill Country.  Whenever I mention this book to others, who have read it, they bring up the 5' metal chicken.

Correction: Tuesday's music begins at 3:30pm, not 4:30pm (Dec 18th).


P.S. Ruidoso Public Library closes Saturday at 2pm and remains closed Monday and Tuesday.  We will open Wednesday morning at 9am.

A re-introduction to our homepage's resources: the Reference tab

I've noticed myself blithely clicking through the library's homepage, hardly noticing what has changed.  As staff at the library, I ought to be acutely aware of the resources at hand.  So, to re-acquaint myself, I will take you, dear reader, with me on a trip through the library's homepage.

Libraries are all about order and sequence, but this time I will hop around the tabs instead of starting on the far left and working to the right.  Or maybe I just want to start with the Reference Tab.  Allons-y!

The bar of tabs on the homepage

When your mouse hovers on the Reference Tab, two options appear: Ancestry and ABE/ESL students.  The Ancestry option works inside the library building; it takes you to our subscription for Ancestry Library Edition, which is similar to Ancestry.com.  Look up a name, learn how to interview a relative to preserve family history, or connect with other potential family.

The ABE/ESL option stands for Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language.  This tab suggests some fee and a few free sites to support anyone preparing for the US Citizenship Exam, GED, or California's Distance Learning Project.

When you click on the Reference Tab, the screen displays a plethora of link options, in fact 23 groups! Here is a brief overview of the categories:

About Computers (how-to classes from the very basic to the mildly advanced)

Business & Finance (small business beginnings to stock market information)

Consumer Information (Ruidoso's Chamber of Commerce and links to the federal government)

Create Free e-mail (most of these sites require a cell phone with text-messaging to get started anymore)

Education (how to start homeschooling, find money for college, or create a citation for your paper)

Elections (see where your precinct is, where to vote, request an absentee ballot, read the League of Women Voters or Project Vote Smart's interviews with candidates, sample ballots when available)

Fast Facts (what you used to ask the librarian for: statistics, local facts, safety recalls, or almanacs)

Federal Student Aid (guides to the FAFSA--often required for students to work in college)

For Seniors (local health services, NM's Aging & Long-Term Services Dept, and Social Security info)

Health (Doctor Finder, travel updates, and scientific or medical journals)

Jobs (State and Federal job listings and help sites; information for career seekers/changers)

Language (quote dictionaries and dictionaries for all ages)

Legal Forms (Bankruptcy, divorce, contract examples, and basic assistance)

Lincoln County Libraries (find Capitan, Corona, ENMU, public schools, and digital libraries in the county)

New Mexico Facts (Cities, maps, tourism, genealogy and government links)

New Mexico Law Library (more forms, regional court specifics, statutes, and municipal codes)

New Mexico Links (MVD's driver's manual, oral history projects, and fun sites)

People (find people, phone numbers, businesses, or census data)

Reading Suggestions (social networks for book lovers, a database of all mystery books ever, find which book is next in a series, or find a suggestion to try next)

Research (encyclopedia, more genealogy, maps, other municipal codes)

Tax Help (state and federal websites and forms and how to file in other states)

Village Emergency (where to register your physical address with the village or county to hear about evacuations or frozen pipes on your cell phone while you are out of town)

Other (look up ZIP codes, the World Fact Book, and read about jobs and salaries in the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Dept of Labor)

Was that too much for one blog-post?  Probably.  If you find a broken link, please comment below or send an email to the library.  I check them every year, but that may not be often enough these days.

#7 Be loud at the library; meet a new book

One of a library's better known activities might be book discussion groups.  Ruidoso Public Library hosts one on the first Wednesday of each month (except in July, when the federal holiday pushes it to the second), at noon.  You are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch (one of the few exceptions to the no eating or drinking in the library rule).  Our library director, Corey Bard, and librarian, Sharon Stewart, join Sherry York and anyone interested in sharing a book or learning about novel novels (pun intended).

Book club meeting aboard GTMO Queen, by By Army Staff Sgt. Blair Heusdens [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

I have heard of book clubs that meet at pubs, private homes, and through church groups.  If you are interested in creating a group, or need any help finding discussion guides or title suggestions, please ask us.  Book clubs have gone online, too.  Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ hangouts can bring together people who cannot leave their homes or have crazy schedules that only let you socialize asynchronously (i.e. 2 o'clock in the morning).  If you have not read a book in a while, maybe because you felt the stories were all the same, a book club can help you jump out of that rut.

The books discussed at the June meeting follow (click on the links to check local availability):
Seasons of grief and grace: A sister story of AIDS, triumph, and family by Susan Ford Wiltshire
Same sweet girls by Cassandra King
The tooth of time by Sue Henry
Images of America: Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs by Lyn Kidder
Delay, deny, hope they die by Bill Dement
My life as a Cambodian refugee: Escape to America by Tony M SaVaun
Erotic resolution: a Flint Rock novel by Glenn Smith
Texas Tango, same author
Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
El Sicario by Molly Molloy, Charles Bowden, and El Sicario
The Rope by Nevada Barr
Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly
Dead end in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Hole in my life, same author
One second after by William R Fortschen

Ruidoso Public Library is closed Wednesday, July 4, for the federal holiday.  We are open Tuesday and Thursday, regular hours.

#2: What to read....what to read next....what to try while waiting

Possibly earliest photograph of a tornado

Libraries are a great resource for something called "Readers Advisory."  That's not a warning about looming dangers in a book, as in Tornado Advisory.  It is a spectrum of answers for the dreaded question, "What to read now?"  On one hand, this can be a rhetorical question, not expecting a real answer; on the other hand, it can become a great conversation over days or years of careful give-and-take between a patron's reactions to books read and a librarian's careful research into similar (or different) books to attempt.

To help librarians help you there are a few things to add after asking, "What shall I read next?"  These include:
1. several books you have read and liked (and maybe want more of),
2. a few books you did not like (and why),
3. what sort of book, story, character, or feeling you are in the mood for next.

Please don't think of it as homework, though the more thought placed in the answers, the more reliable a librarian's research into what titles to suggest may become.  If you want to delve into the analysis of books, this is where plot, character, setting, and pacing come into play.  As every person reads a book through a different life-lens, these analyses are not set in stone.  Each book may have several different "appeal factors" (genre, setting, pacing) and you see the one that interests (or disgusts) you at that time.

Sometimes I prefer a book that emphasizes pacing.  This may be Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  Other times I can appreciate a book that explores, without any hurry, the internal monologue (see: Atonement by Ian McEwan).

Whether the sense of place, frenetic pacing, complex and dynamic characterization, or just what everyone else is reading is your cup of tea, ask a librarian--but be prepared for a conversation rather than a Google-fast result.

If you prefer the DIY (do-it-yourself) approach, there are many websites that can help as well.  For mystery fans, Stop, You're Killing Me! can help you recall your favorite character's author, or authors who write similarly to your favorite author.  If you prefer to know beforehand whether a book has mature language (or just how much), various aspects of romance (or how much from hand-holding to well beyond kissing), violence (implied or explicit and how much), and many more aspects look to All Readers.  With either site, look up books you have already read to see what volunteers have posted about them.  That way you will know what terms to look for (or avoid!) in searching for new possibilities.

Ruidoso Public Library hosts the World Premier of Camp Capitan, a local playwright's introduction to a CCC camp in the county and life during the Great Depression.  Two shows, Thursday, May 31, 10:30 am and 7 pm.

What to read next? Pushing boundaries?

Waiting for your author to release this year's title?  Exhausted by the same ol' same ol'?

These sites are designed to introduce you to something new or someone similar.

And you may always ask any staff at the library for a suggestion.  I made need some time and I may badger you with several questions first, but that is one of my favorite facets of my job!

The first is RA for All(RA is Reader's Advisory--answering "What do I read next?").  This is a specific post on Charlaine Harris, but the right column includes links to other authors, a search bar, and several blog suggestions for further recommendations.

The second is Stop, You're Killing Me!, which specializes in murder mystery read-a-likes.

The third is Shelf Renewal, which focuses on books from a year or more ago.  These are titles you may have been too busy for when new, or didn't quite understand the hype, or just weren't ready for at that time your life.  This blog's right column lists by genre as well.

The fourth is Berwyn (IL) Public Library's page on a long list of authors and suggested other authors.  Look here if you have read all of Author X and need a new field.  

Finally, Murderati is a blog including posts from many murder-mystery authors.

Where do you go for book recommendations?  Any I should add here?  Please share in the comments or when you next visit Ruidoso Public Library.