Mystery Lovers Rejoice! 2011 Edgar Awards Announced

Make your list now to enjoy the 2011 Edgar Award Winners and Nominees. The Mystery Writers of America made the announcement to honor the best mystery fiction, non-fiction and television shows from 2010 on April 28, 2011

The winners by category are:

Best Novel
The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton. Traumatized at the age of eight and pushed into a life of crime by reason of his unforgiveable talent--lock picking--Michael sees his chance to escape, and with one desperate gamble risks everything to come back home to the only person he ever loved, and to unlock the secret that has kept him silent for so long.


Best First Novel by and American Author
Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva
Someone is systematically burning down the neighborhood Mulligan, an old school newspaper man grew up in, people he knows and loves are perishing in the flames, and the public is on the verge of panic. With the whole city of Providence on his back, Mulligan must weed through a wildly colorful array of characters to find the truth.

Best Paperback Original
Long Time Coming by Robert Goddard
An intricate plot involving a man thought to be killed in WWII, his nephew, and the quest of a family trying to retrieve paintings and diamonds that belonged to a fleeing Jewish diamond trader in 1939. Lots of twists and turns in this suspenseful incorporation of mystery, intrigue, and history.

Best Fact Crime
Scoreboard, Baby: A Story of College Football, Crime and Complicity by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry
The adjectives associated with the University of Washington's 2000 football season-mystical, magical, miraculous-changed when Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry's four-part expos of the 2000 Huskies hit the newspaper stand: explosive chilling (Sports Illustrated), blistering (Baltimore Sun), shocking appalling(Tacoma News Tribune), astounding(ESPN), jaw-dropping (Orlando Sentinel).

Best Critical/Biographical
Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the honorable Detective and his Rendezvouz with American History by Ynute Huang
The author uses the Charlie Chan character and the man who was the model for the character, Honolulu Detective Chang Apana, to examine the treatment of Asians in U.S. history and culture, including Hollywood and the government.

SH

And the winners are...

Wellesley Reads Together, a town-wide program of reading and discussing the same books, will take place from October 1 to November 13, 2011. The chosen books are "The Good Garden : How One Family Went from Hunger to Having Enough" by Wellesley resident Katie Smith Milway. The book is based on the true story of a Honduran girl who, with her family, learns about and practices sustainable farming techniques used to revive their home farm. The second winner, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, examines the economic, social and health benefits of a locally sourced family diet as it chronicles a year in the life of the author's family.
Watch the WFL website http://www.wellesleyfreelibrary.org/ for future events as they develop.

-DB

Wellesley Reads Together Announcement

Stay tuned for the announcement of the
2011 Wellesley Reads Together selections
on Friday, April 29.

SH

Kindle Owners!!!

For those who haven't yet heard the news...
Amazon and Overdrive have reached an agreement whereby Overdrive users will be able to download books onto their Kindle e-book readers. Just to back up a little for those who may think overdrive is just past 4th gear and that kindle produces fires: Overdrive is the distributor many libraries use to circulate digital books and audio books. Books can be downloaded to your computer or to any number of mobile devices. Because there are many devices, each with their own software and licensing rights, it's been a little confusing to sort it all out. The biggest player in the mobile bookreader world has been Amazon Books with their Kindle. Unfortunately for Overdrive (and Kindle) users, no books in the Overdrive catalog could be downloaded to the Kindle. Hence the big announcement: "Sometime in 2011" Kindle books will be able to be downloaded from Overdrive. (Overdrive, a.k.a. Digital Media Catalog, is available from the list of Library databases or from the Wellesley Free Library home page).
--RL

Disunion

Disunion

"The flag that flew over Fort Sumter on April 12-13, 1861, had 33 stars representing each state in the Union. The star for Kansas, which had been admitted to the Union in January 1861, was not added until July. "

Fort Sumter flag from New York Times Disunion blog.

Disunion is a blog posted by the New York Times in remembrance of the 150th anniversary of our Civil War. The blog follows the daily events as they unfold, mixing modern multimedia and contemporary sources and images. Highlights so far include Lincolns handwritten proclamation of war, interactive Civil War timeline, pages from Walt Whitman's notebook, and interactive behind the scenes at Lincoln's inauguration. Of course lots of photos and articles from the Times archive. In addition, the Disunion blog will provide a reexamination of historical assessments as the Civil War unfolds.

TB

AtoZ the USA--Featured Online Resource

Whether you are a student with a report /paper or a person planning a vacation, AtoZ the USA offers you maps, photos, and in-depth information on the:

• history
• geography
• points of interest
• arts & culture
• symbols
• statistics
• and more
  

for the USA--the 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia.

Bookmark it today in preparation for your moment of need!

SH

The Hobbit Lives

The long-delayed movie version of The Hobbit, directed by Peter Jackson, is scheduled for release as two films, a year apart, beginning in December 2012. Though the production has suffered through numerous snafus, the movie is truly on course for its intended release. The officlal site for the film, TheHobbitBlog.com, helps negate any doubts that the cast and crew are in working mode.

-DB

New Books for May

What's new in fiction and mystery for May? Here are a few titles:

Brooks, Geraldine. Caleb’s Crossing.

In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Upon this slender factual scaffold, Geraldine Brooks creates a luminous tale of love and faith, magic and adventure.

Haigh, Jennifer. Faith.

Estranged for years from her difficult and demanding relatives, Sheila McGann has remained close to her older brother Art, the popular, dynamic pastor of a large suburban parish. When Art finds himself at the center of the maelstrom, Sheila returns to Boston, ready to fight for him and his reputation. What she discovers is more complicated than she imagined.

O’Brien, Edna. Saints and Sinners: Stories.
With her inimitable gift for describing the workings of the heart and mind, Edna O'Brien introduces us to a vivid new cast of restless, searching people who-whether in the Irish countryside or London or New York-remind us of our own humanity. Included here are stories about family, class, the “Troubles,” and a librarian awaiting a great poet at a Dublin hotel.

Parker, Robert B. Sixkill.

Alas for fans, this is Spenser’s final outing, as Parker died last January. On location in Boston, bad-boy actor Jumbo Nelson is accused of the rape and murder of a young woman. From the start the case seems fishy, so the Boston PD calls on Spenser to investigate. The situation doesn't look good for Jumbo, whose appetites for food, booze, and sex are as outsized as his name. He was the studio's biggest star, but he's become their biggest liability.

Prose, Francine. My New American Life.

An Albanian living surreptitiously in New York City on an expiring tourist visa, twenty-six year old Lula hopes to make a better life for herself in America. When she lands a job as caretaker to Zach, a rebellious high school senior in suburban New Jersey, it seems that the security, comfort, and happiness of the American dream might finally be within reach.

maf

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Announce 4/18

Keep your eyes peeled because the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction (as well as the other finalists) will be announced this upcoming Monday, April 18th. Last year's winner, Tinkers by Paul Harding, was a huge success and saw scores of patrons placing it on their hold list which means you'll want to keep your eye on the Pulitzer website so you can be the first to place your hold when they announce it!

MW

World gone topsy-turvy?

Just as the Oxford English Dictionary is adding OMG, BFF LOL, and IMHO to its pages, Google is coming out with a print magazine, Think Quarterly (a trade publication.)
OMG.
--RL

New Books About World War II

The following are new books being published on World War II.


The Battle of Britain: Five Months That Changed History; May-October 1940
by James Holland

The Battle of Britain paints a stirring picture of an extraordinary summer when the fate of the world hung by a thread. Historian James Holland has now written the definitive account of those months based on extensive new research from around the world including thousands of new interviews with people on both sides of the battle.



Hitler's Savage Canary: A History of the Danish Resistance in World War II
by David Lampe

After Adolph Hitler made plans to create a model protectorate out of Denmark, Winston Churchill predicted the nation would become the Fuhrer's tame canary. Isolated from the Allies and fueled only by a sense of human decency and national pride, the Danes created an extraordinary resistance movement that proved a relentless thorn in the Nazis side.



The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War
by Andrew Roberts

Roberts defines the war by Hitler's mistakes. Hitler started the war before Germany was ready, waged war without enough resources, and implemented counter productive domestic policies. Despite this the outcome could have been different without the skill and desperation showed by the Allies.




Turning the Tide: How a Small Band of Allied Sailors Defeated the U-boats and Won the Battle of the Atlantic
by Ed Offley

The United States experienced its most harrowing military disaster of World War II not in 1941 at Pearl Harbor but in the period from 1942 to 1943, in Atlantic coastal waters from Newfoundland to the Caribbean. Sinking merchant ships with impunity, German U-boats threatened the lifeline between the United States and Britain, very nearly denying the Allies their springboard onto the European Continent--a loss that would have effectively cost the Allies the war.



Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage
by Douglas C. Waller

He was one of America's most exciting and secretive generals the man Franklin Roosevelt made his top spy in World War II. Donovan introduced the nation to the dark arts of covert warfare on a scale it had never seen before. Now, veteran journalist Douglas Waller has mined government and private archives throughout the United States and England, drawn on thousands of pages of recently declassified documents, and interviewed scores of Donovan's relatives, friends, and associates to produce a riveting biography of one of the most powerful men in modern espionage.

TB

Edgar Awards Nominees

All mystery lovers know and respect the Edgar Awards sponsored by The Mystery Writers of America. This year the winners will be announced on April 28 in New York.

Who do you think will win the award this year in the following categories? Post a comment and let us and other know. If you would like to request one of the following titles, click on the title link and place the request right now.

The 2011 Edgar Allan Poe Award nominees were announced on the 202nd anniversary of his birth.

Best Fiction Nominees include:

• Caught by Harlan Coben

• Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin Faithful Place by Tana French

• The Queen of Patpong by Timothy Hallinan

• The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton

• I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

Best Fact Crime Nominees:

• Scoreboard, Baby: A Story of College Football, Crime and Complicity by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry

• The Eyes of Willie McGee: A Tragedy of Race, Sex, and Secrets in Jim Crow South by Alex Heard

• Finding Chandra: A True Washington Murder Mystery by Scott Higham and Sari Horwitz

• Hellhound on his Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr and the International Hunt for his Assassin by Hampton Sides

• The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science by Douglas Starr

SH

Books into Movies for April

Soul Surfer, due out on April 8, is based on Bethany Hamilton's 2004 autobiographical tale. The professional surfer is played by AnnaSophia Robb and is directed by Sean McNamara.

Atlas Shrugged Part 1, due in theatres on April 15, is based on the 1957 final novel by Russian philosopher Ayn Rand. This is the first of a planned trilogy adaptation directed by Paul Johansson. Stars include Taylor Schilling, Matthew Marsden and Grant Bowler.

Water for Elephants, due out on April 22, is adapted from Sara Gruen's bestselling novel about life in the circus. Francis Lawrence directed and stars include Reese Witherspoon and Hal Holbrook.

-DB

The Old Grey Lady wants some green

If you haven't been keeping up with the goings on in newspaperland and are just happily reading your daily that's delivered to your doorstep, you might be surprised to find out that things aren't going so well for them--and for print products in general. Newspaper companies have been some of the hardest hit as its scores of readers dropped their print subscription in favor of obtaining their news online. Another nail in the coffin was the latest research by Pew which has demonstrated that shift as readers under the age of 40 now read news online in greater numbers than those who like to get ink on their fingers.

In order to stop the hemorrhaging of revenues, some papers like the Wall Street Journal, have been charging consumers for their online content. The New York Times has, until today, been the one major newspaper holdout--readers have enjoyed unlimited access and perhaps, like myself, have come to rely on it. As described in their letters to readers, you'll still have access to the Times online in the form of reading 20 articles per month. After that, you'll have to pony up some $$ until the next month rolls around.

The subscription plans--which start at $15 per month--may translate into some major dollars for those of you who like to read an article on your smartphone while waiting in line at the grocery, another on your iPad at home, and another yet on your computer at work. Some bloggers have noted that the NY Times plans are far pricier than other newspaper companies, but--in a wonderful bit of irony--those of you who have stuck with the print version of the New York Times get unlimited access to the online version.

For those of us in the Boston area, you'll want to keep an eye peeled for the fall as The Boston Globe's website will follow suit will roll out a subscription plan for its website. It's an intensely interesting moment for the computing world, as the producers of content we have so long enjoyed for free and considered essential are requesting us to reach into our pockets and help pay some salaries.

MW

New Books for April

What's coming out in April?

Once Upon A Time There Was You

Elizabeth Berg

A beautiful and moving novel about a man and woman, long divorced, who rediscover the power of love and family in the midst of an unthinkable crisis.

I'll Walk Alone

Mary Higgins Clark

Mary Higgins Clark’s new novel—the thirtieth and most spine-chilling of her long career as America’s most beloved author of suspense fiction— is about the newest and most up-to-date of crimes: identity theft.

The Pale King

David Foster Wallace

The Pale King remained unfinished at the time of David Foster Wallace's death, but it is a deeply compelling and satisfying novel, hilarious and fearless and as original as anything Wallace ever undertook. It grapples directly with ultimate questions--questions of life's meaning and of the value of work and society--through characters imagined with the interior force and generosity that were Wallace's unique gifts.

Bel-Air Dead

Stuart Woods

In the newest addition to the New York Times-bestselling series, Stone Barrington comes face-to-face with a beautiful woman from his past. . . . and finds himself dragged into a surprisingly deadly web of intrigue.

maf

New! Evening Open Computer Lab

Did you know?

Jackie's Computer Lab, on the first floor of the Main Library, will now be open to all between the hours of 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. on most Wednesday evenings. The lab contains 12 PCs with flat screen monitors, Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2007. Self-paced training software for Windows XP is installed on each PC.

Open Lab is staffed by librarians and volunteers doing their best to provide assistance and answers. No registration is required.

Stop by & check it out!

MKL

Historians Speak

Leading Historians Explain Their Take On Historical Events.


To America: Personal Reflections of an Historian
by Stephen E. Ambrose

One of the most popular historians of our time looks back on his life--and on America's history--in a valediction that powerfully weaves together personal experience and historical insights. Ambrose touches on the founding fathers, the early encounters with the Plains Indians, World War II, Vietnam, Women's rights and other topics.



American Heritage: Great Minds of History
by Roger Mudd, American Heritage Publishing Staff

The great historians of our day take you on an exhilarating tour through the crucial moments in American history. Stephen Ambrose discusses World War II and Nixon, David McCullough on the importance of History and the Industrial Era, James McPherson on civil rights and the Civil War, Richard White on pioneers and Westward Expansion, and Gordon Wood on the Colonial era and American Revolution.


What Ifs? of American History: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been
by Robert Cowley, Antony Beevor

Prominent historians speculate about some of America's more intriguing crossroads. Some irresistible highlights include: Caleb Carr (The Alienist) on America had there been no Revolution; Tom Wicker on the first time a vice president, John Tyler, succeeded a deceased president and its surprising ramifications; Jay Winik (April 1865) on the havoc that might have resulted if Booth had succeeded in his plan to assassinate Johnson and Seward as well as Lincoln; and Robert Dallek (An Unfinished Life about John F. Kennedy) on one of the most agonizing American "what if"s of all: what might have happened if JFK hadn't been assassinated.


What Might Have Been: Imaginary History from Twelve Leading Historians
by Andrew Roberts

Throughout history, great and terrible events have often hinged on chance. Here, historian Andrew Roberts has assembled a team of his prominent colleagues, asking them to consider what might have happened if major world events had gone differently. Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, ponders what might have happened if Lincoln’s Northern States of America and Queen Victoria’s Great Britain had gone to war, as they so nearly did in 1861. George W. Bush’s former White House adviser, David Frum, considers a President Al Gore’s response to 9/11, while Conrad Black wonders how the U.S. might have entered World War II if the Japanese had not bombed Pearl Harbor.

TB

Your own personal New York Times

Perhaps you've heard of this newspaper...?
The New York Times has added a "My New York Times" type feature which will recommend news stories to you based on the stories you read while you are logged in. So if you go to the nytimes.com site and log in, the web site will keep track of what stories you're reading and provide a list of new stories you might like to read. Nothing will appear in your email--it's all based on your browsing the Times web site. (Coincidentally, the newspaper is also beginning their new fee-for-content scheme next month. Non-subscribers will be limited to 20 free articles per month.) As much as I try to avoid having a zillion "My_____" pages to add to my 10 zillion passwords I have to ferret out each time I touch my computer, I think I'll try this one. There's nothing quite like the Times covering world events and there certainly are some subjects I like to keep on top of.
--RL

2011 Los Angeles Times Book Finalists

On April 29, 2011, the Los Angeles Times will announce its book prizes for books published in 2010.

Many of the finalists have been on other 2011 best books lists (such as Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee, and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand) but the LA Times Prize is of interest to many readers.

Perhaps you would be interested in other titles on the Finalist List such as Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin or The Killing of Crazy Horse by Thomas Powers. Take a look at the titles and place your requests today.

SH

Ready for your audition?

Are you scratching your head about what to sing for that much anticipated musical audition? Check out some of our newest scores for ideas. The 16-bar theatre audition : 100 songs excerpted for successful auditions / compiled and edited by Michael Dansicker is a compilation of song excerpts from musicals and motion pictures for most voice ranges. Scores include chord symbols.



-DB

Google Does Art

Can't make it to the Rijksmuseum but you just have to see Vermeer's Milkmaid? Or did you want to take a stroll through the Tate but don't want to deal with the jet lag? Well, Google's at it again--because of their partnership with international museums you can now tour their collections via the Google Art Project. What's more, the images they have taken of the artwork is at such a high quality that you can zoom in to study the masters' brushwork with amazing detail. As an added bonus, you can put together a collection of your own, borrowing works from some of the world's most famous art museums--think of it as fantasy baseball for art lovers.

MW

New Books for March and April

What's new in fiction and mystery for March and April? Here are a few titles:

Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

Tracy Waterhouse leads a quiet, ordered life as a retired police detective-a life that takes a surprising turn when she encounters Kelly Cross, a habitual offender, dragging a young child through town. Both appear miserable and better off without each other-or so decides Tracy, in a snap decision that surprises herself as much as Kelly. Suddenly burdened with a small child, Tracy soon learns her parental inexperience is actually the least of her problems, as much larger ones loom for her and her young charge.Meanwhile, Jackson Brodie, the beloved detective of novels such as Case Histories, is embarking on a different sort of rescue-that of an abused dog. Dog in tow, Jackson is about to learn, along with Tracy, that no good deed goes unpunished.

Red on Red by Edward Conlon

From the author of the celebrated and bestselling memoir Blue Blood comes this highly anticipated fiction debut. In Red on Red, Edward Conlon tells the story of two NYPD detectives, Meehan and Esposito: one damaged and introspective, the other ambitious and unscrupulous. Meehan is compelled by haunting and elusive stories that defy easy resolution, while Esposito is drawn to cases of rough and ordinary combat. A fierce and unlikely friendship develops between them and plays out against a tangle of mysteries: a lonely immigrant who hangs herself in Inwood Hill Park, a serial rapist preying on upper Manhattan, a troubled Catholic schoolgirl who appears in the wrong place with uncanny regularity, and a savage gang war that erupts over a case of mistaken identity.Red on Red captures the vibrant dynamic of a successful police partnership-the tests of loyalty, the necessary betrayals, the wedding of life and work-and tells an unrelenting and exciting story that captures the grittiness, complexity, ironies, and compromises of life on the job.

Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson

Caterer and sleuth extraordinaire Goldy Schulz returns in another tasty and suspenseful adventure from New York Times bestselling author Diane Mott Davidson
Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz cooks up big trouble as she tries to help her longtime friend and fellow chef Yolanda Garcia. When the rental house shared by Yolanda and her irrepressible aunt Ferdinanda is destroyed by arson, the pair move in with cop-turned-PI Ernest McLeod. But then Ernest is shot dead and his house is set on fire, nearly killing Goldy, Yolanda, Ferdinanda, and nine beagle puppies that Ernest had recently rescued from a puppy mill.
Concerned for her friends, Goldy invites them to stay with her while the sheriff's department investigates. Yet even Goldy's house isn't safe, and after a failed break-in by an unknown intruder a cop is sent to keep an eye on things. Then a second body is found.
Swapping her chef's hat for a sleuthing cap, the intrepid Goldy steps up the investigation. But she's got to move fast. It's crunch time to close in on a killer, before he can close in on her.

Complaints by Ian Rankin

Nobody likes The Complaints--they're the cops who investigate other cops. It's a department known within the force as "The Dark Side," and it's where Malcolm Fox works. He's a serious man with a father in a nursing home and a sister who persists in an abusive relationship, frustrating problems about which he cannot seem to do anything.Then the reluctant Fox is given a new case. There's a cop named Jamie Breck, and he's dirty. The problem is, no one can prove it. As Fox takes on the job, he learns that there's more to Breck than anyone thinks--dangerous knowledge, especially when a vicious murder takes place far too close to home.

maf

Featured Online Resource for March--Grzimek's Animal Life Online

Whether you have a serious research project or just enjoy looking at animal pictures and videos, Grzimek’s Animal Life will not disappoint. Filled with credible information from the authoritative animal print encyclopedia, the resource is enhanced with updated facts and features on 4000+ species, endangered species, prehistoric animals, biomes, and more. Have your library card handy and take a look. SH

Best Picture--Academy Awards

Ready for Sunday when the 2011 Oscar for Best Picture will be announced? Which of the nominated films do you think should win OR do you have a favorite that was not nominated?

Let us know by sending back a comment, and, if you would like, why you would vote for your choice.

2011 Nominations for Best Picture

127 Hours

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids are all Right

The King's Speech

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter's Bone

Travel & Seafaring

Following are the most popular travel and seafaring books since July in order.



Dogtown : Death and Enchantment in a New England Ghost Town

by Elyssa East

The area known as Dogtown is a 2000 acre woodland in Gloucester Massachusetts. Its history includes tales of murder, witches, supernatural sightings, pirates and the many dogs Revolutionary War widows kept for protection and for which the area was named.






Seized : A Sea Captain's Adventures Battling Scoundrels and Pirates While Recovering Stolen Ships in the World's Most Troubled Waters

by Max Hardberger

"Seized" throws open the hatch on the shadowy maritime world, where third-world governments place exorbitant liens against ships, pirates seize commercial vessels with impunity--and hapless owners have to rely on sea captain Hardberger for justice.






Deadliest Sea : The Untold Story Behind the Greatest Rescue in Coast Guard History

by Kalee Thompson

Commercial fishing is the most dangerous job in the United States, with a death rate 36 times higher than for all other US workers. Veteran journalist Thompson offers a fascinating look at the Alaskan fishing industry in this book-length account of the March 23, 2008 sinking of the Alaska Ranger fishing trawler in the frigid Bering Sea, and the Coast Guard's dramatic rescue.




The Spartacus Road: a journey though ancient Italy

by Peter Stothard

As he travels along the Spartacus road, Stothard breathes new life into the story of Spartacus and the greatest slave war in antiquity. Stothard retraces the journey taken by Spartacus and his army of rebels, taking us back to an ancient world which confronted similar issues to those we face today--the perils of religious belief; the comfort of organized religion; the virtues of public life. He tells it, definitively, for our time.




Educating Alice : Adventures of a Curious Woman
by Alice Steinbach

This time she roamed the world, taking lessons and courses in such things as French cooking in Paris, Border collie training in Scotland, traditional Japanese arts in Kyoto, and architecture and art in Havana. With warmth and wit, Steinbach guides us through the pleasures and perils of discovering how to be a student again. She also learns the true value of this second chance at educating herself: the opportunity to connect with and learn from the people she meets along the way.

TB