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

Save the Library Posters

Phil Bradley, a world-class library blogger, has done it again. Libraries are under budget attack in the UK perhaps even more than in its former colony. To aid their savelibraries campaign Phil photoshopped a set of World War I posters changing the message from support-the-war-effort to save our libraries. They're on flickr. Take a look.
--RL

Struggle for Democracy

While we witness the struggle for democracy in the Middle East during the past few weeks, our thoughts are with the protesters and their families during this time of triumph and tragedy. Many of us claim to have scant knowledge of the history and government of countries such as Yemen, Tunisia and Bahrain. Visit the library and become better educated about current world affairs. Pictured are just two excellent reference sources.


The CIA World Factbook 2008 and The World Today Series : The Middle East and South Asia are available for use in the library. Come to the reference desk on the second floor and we will direct you circulating books and online resources as well.

Comment on this blog to share your thoughts on this and other historic events around the globe. We look forward to hearing from you!

-DB

Find Wellesley Free Library on the Web

Do you want to keep up with what is happening at the Wellesley Free Library OR learn about what is new and interesting in the book and movie world?

We have some places on the web you can check us out to stay up to date:







WELLESLEY FREE LIBRARY WEB PAGE—http://www.wellesleyfreelibrary.org
Find information regarding the library, its policies, events, technology classes, reading lists, online resources, how to sign up for our monthly E-Newsletter, and much more.


LIBRARY BLOGS




WELLESLEY FREE LIBRARY REFERENCE BLOG—http://wellesleyreference.blogspot.com/
Check our blog regularly for news about Reference services, new books, websites, booklists, authors, and library happenings!


WFL STAFF READS BLOG—http://wellesleystaffreads.blogspot.com/
Librarians blog about their favorite books, audiobooks, movies, and music.


WFL KIDS BLOG—http://www.wflkids.blogspot.com/
Short reviews of books for Grades 6-12 that Children’s Department staff are reading.







WFL FACEBOOK PAGE--http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wellesley-Free-Library/49999845750
Check out library events, photos, videos, and helpful information from the library staff.






WFL on TWITTER--http://twitter.com/WellesleyLib/
Receive instant messages on a wide range of topics including upcoming events, computer classes, Online Resources, helpful information from the Reference and Children’s Departments, and more.

SH

6 Must Use FREE eBook & Audiobook Websites

If you’re anything like me you have or know someone who has an e-reader. Each device lets you easily buy books from the associated stores. But, you are not limited to purchasing titles for your e-reader. You can get free eBooks to read on your Kindles, Nooks, iPads, and other devices.

Below you will find my 6 must use free eBook and audiobook websites. Each of them provides free content that you can read on your e-readers or listen to on your mp3 players.

Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
-Has eBooks at http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/
-Has Audiobooks at http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/categories/1
-Many different formats (HTML, EPUB, and Kindle for eBooks. MP3, iTunes, Ogg Vorbis, and Speex for audiobooks)
-Many different languages
-No signup
-Largest collection of free public domain books
-Proofread by dedicated volunteers = good quality texts.
-Lots of “classic” literature
-The eBooks are available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch via free app Stanza

Internet Archive
http://www.archive.org/
-Public domain titles
-Has eBooks at http://www.archive.org/details/texts
-Has Audiobooks at http://www.archive.org/details/audio_bookspoetry
-Many different formats (PDF, Kindle, EPUB for eBooks. MP3 and Ogg Vorbis for audiobooks)
-No signup

Feedbooks
http://www.feedbooks.com/
-Has eBooks for free or to buy
-Has public domain titles at http://www.feedbooks.com/publicdomain
-Has original works at http://www.feedbooks.com/original
-Has for sale titles at http://www.feedbooks.com/store
-Used by well-known authors like Cory Doctorow (free titles)
-EPUB, Kindle, and PDF formats
-No signup for free titles
-Easy to search and get titles in formats for popular eReaders (Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, iPad)

Google Books
http://books.google.com/ebooks
-Has eBooks for free at http://books.google.com/books
-Has eBooks to buy at http://books.google.com/ebooks (some free too)
-Has public domain titles, previews of other titles
-Provides links to booksellers and libraries
-Download titles to iPhone/iPad with appropriate app, or Android devices with appropriate app
-EPUB and PDF formats work with Sony eReader, BN Nook, Kobo eReader
-Not compatible with the Kindle
-No signup for free titles, but need to download an app for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Android, and Nook and Sony devices

Baen Free Library
http://www.baen.com/library/defaultTitles.htm
-Science Fiction titles (i.e. 1812 by Eric Flint)
-Multiple formats (EPUB/Nook, Mobi/Palm/Kindle, Microsoft Reader, Sony Reader, Rich Text, etc)
-No signup

BookShouldBeFree
http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/
-Has free audiobooks
-MP3 and iPod/iTunes formats
-Suggests similar titles to the one you are browsing
-No signup
-Download the titles to your computer and then sync them with your MP3 player via software like iTunes.

JR

New Books for March

Live Wire by Harlan Coben

When former tennis star Suzze T and her rock star husband, Lex, encounter an anonymous Facebook post questioning the paternity of their unborn child, Lex runs off, and Suzze - at eight months pregnant - asks Myron to save her marriage, and perhaps her husband's life. But when he finds Lex, he also finds someone he wasn't looking for: his sister-in-law, Kitty, who along with Myron's brother abandoned the Bolitar family long ago.As Myron races to locate his missing brother while their father clings to life, he must face the lies that led to the estrangement - including the ones told by Myron himself. If we thought we knew Myron Bolitar, Coben now proves we didn't.

Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein

In the latest thriller in Linda Fairstein's bestselling series, Alex Cooper dives deep into the byzantine, sinister world of New York City's powerful religious institutions.It's the middle of the night. Prosecutor Alexandra Cooper is called to Harlem's Mount Neboh Baptist Church, a beautiful house of worship originally built as a synagogue. But the crowd gathered there isn't interested in architecture, or even prayer. They've come for the same reason Alex has: to find out why the body of a young woman has been decapitated, set on fire, and left burning on the church steps.

Troubled Man by Henning Mankell

The much-anticipated return of Henning Mankell’s brilliant, brooding detective, Kurt Wallander.On a winter day in 2008, Håkan von Enke, a retired high-ranking naval officer, vanishes during his daily walk in a forest near Stockholm. The investigation into his disappearance falls under the jurisdiction of the Stockholm police. It has nothing to do with Wallander—officially. But von Enke is his daughter’s future father-in-law. And so, with his inimitable disregard for normal procedure, Wallander is soon interfering in matters that are not his responsibility, making promises he won’t keep, telling lies when it suits him—and getting results. But the results hint at elaborate Cold War espionage activities that seem inextricably confounding, even to Wallander, who, in any case, is troubled in more personal ways as well.

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

In the aftermath of a series of personal tragedies, Zoe throws herself into her career as a music therapist. When an unexpected friendship slowly blossoms into love, she makes plans for a new life, but to her shock and inevitable rage, some people—even those she loves and trusts most—don't want that to happen.
Sing You Home is about identity, love, marriage, and parenthood.

maf

It's Tax Time Again!

Yes, it's that time of year again, where we turn away from the unpleasant task of shoveling out from under massive snow falls and turn to the even more unpleasant task of filing our tax returns.

This year both the federal government and our state government have decided to make this time easier on their budgets and draw back from printing and mailing forms to individuals, so a lot of you may be left without the forms you need to get the job done. Never fear, the library's here!

We do our best to get the most frequently requested tax forms for you, but delays in legislation and printing have led to a dearth of forms in the library. But as of this Tuesday, we now have most of the forms and instructions you need, so come on down and pick up what you need--they're held behind the Reference Desk on the second floor, in the alcove behind the desk. If you need any other forms that we haven't ordered, we'll be happy to print them for you at the low, low cost of 15 cents a page. We may not be able to make your trip to the dentist any easier, but we endeavor to make tax time as painless as possible for you!


MW

A Second Opinion on Health Sites

An article in yesterday's New York Times Magazine looked at two different health information sites; The Mayo Clinic Health Information site, and the popular WebMD, and examined how similar sites can provide different content. Virginia Heffernan's article, A Prescription for Fear, does a great job of examining how factors such as money from drug companies influences content on the two sites. Not all web content is created equally, and this article is an interesting look at why.

ACL

Featured WFL Online Resource for February--Get your facts straight with Opposing Viewpoints in Context

Opposing Viewpoints in Context brings together primary documents, videos, academic journal articles, statistics, charts, text from reputable reference resources, and more on the most important social issues to assist in research, debates, and to clarify pro/con positions for issues the public needs to know.

The topic page display presents all formats on a single page for easy selection. Whether you are a student or someone who just wants to know more, you will find this a very interesting and helpful resource. SH

Digital Public Library?--They're woking on it...

Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society announced that it is working on a national "digital public library." The plot is ambitious and the planners include representatives from a variety of universities, foundations and government agencies. While the overall goal is to efficiently deliver electronic books, all the little realities like rights and royalties, publishers and authors and Google Books have yet to be worked out. And missing from the impressive list of participants is any involvement from public libraries or from the American Library Association. Stay tuned.
--RL

New Books on the American Revolution

Was it General Gage or General Howe who commanded the redcoats at Bunker Hill? What prominent member of the Son's of Liberty was American's first traitor? Could the agitator Samuel Adams been behind a hedge or around the corner of a tavern on Lexington green and have fired the "shot heard round the world"? Find out in these new books about the War for Independence.



Revolutionaries : A New History of the Invention of America by Jack N. Rakove

In the early 1770s, the men who invented America were living quiet, provincial lives. None set out to become "revolutionary" by ambition, but when events in Boston escalated, they found themselves thrust into a crisis that moved, in a matter of months, from protest to war.



Invisible Ink : Spycraft of the American Revolution
by John Nagy

During the American Revolution, espionage was critical to the successes and failures of both Colonial and British war efforts. Invisible Ink is an entertaining survey of the various techniques, as well as accounts of some of the more notable spies and spying episodes of the period.




Perilous Fight : America's Intrepid War with Britain on the High Seas, 1812-1815
by Stephen Budiansky

Drawing extensively on diaries, letters, and personal accounts from both sides, Budiansky re-creates the riveting encounters at sea in bloody clashes of cannonfire and swordplay; the intimate hopes and fears of vainglorious captains and young seamen in search of adventure; and the behind-the-scenes political intrigue and maneuvering in Washington and London.



As If an Enemy's Country : The British Occupation of Boston and the Origins of Revolution
by Richard Archer

In the dramatic few years when colonial Americans were galvanized to resist British rule, perhaps nothing did more to foment anti-British sentiment than the armed occupation of Boston. Richard Archer has written a gripping narrative of those critical months between October 1, 1768 and the winter of 1770 when Boston was an occupied town.




With Fire and Sword : The Battle of Bunker Hill
by James L. Nelson

A masterful new history of the first real battle of the Revolutionary War. If Lexington and Concord was the shot heard around the world, then Bunker Hill was the volley that rocked Parliament and the ministry of George III.

TB