New York Times Best Sellers - May 27, 2007

HARDCOVER FICTION

1 THE 6TH TARGET, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. (Little, Brown, $27.99.) In San Francisco, children and their nannies are disappearing, and Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women’s Murder Club investigate.

2 SIMPLE GENIUS, by David Baldacci. (Warner, $26.99.) Two former Secret Service agents investigate a scientist’s murder while one battles her own demons.

3 THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION, by Michael Chabon. (HarperCollins, $26.95.) A detective investigates the murder of a neighbor in a Jewish settlement in Alaska.

4 THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Illustrated by Alan Lee. (Houghton Mifflin, $26.) In Middle-earth, an evil lord wants to destroy his rival’s children.

5 I HEARD THAT SONG BEFORE, by Mary Higgins Clark. (Simon & Schuster, $25.95.)
A woman marries a childhood acquaintance suspected of several murders.

6 THE WOODS, by Harlan Coben. (Dutton, $26.95.) A prosecutor must confront family secrets when new evidence surfaces about a murder and disappearance at a summer camp 20 years earlier.

7 RANT, by Chuck Palahniuk. (Doubleday, $24.95.)The “oral biography” of a serial killer.

8 NINETEEN MINUTES, by Jodi Picoult. (Atria, $26.95.) The aftermath of a high school shooting reveals the fault lines in a small New Hampshire town.

9 THE GOOD HUSBAND OF ZEBRA DRIVE, by Alexander McCall Smith. (Pantheon, $21.95.) The eighth novel in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.

10 BACK ON BLOSSOM STREET, by Debbie Macomber. (Mira, $24.95.) More stories of life and love from a Seattle knitting class.

11 FOR ONE MORE DAY, by Mitch Albom. (Hyperion, $21.95.) A troubled man gets a last chance to reconnect and restore his relationship with his dead mother.

12 BODY SURFING, by Anita Shreve. (Little, Brown, $25.99.) A woman takes a job as a tutor and becomes involved in a wealthy family’s tensions and rivalries.

13 ALL TOGETHER DEAD, by Charlaine Harris. (Ace, $24.95.) Sookie Stackhouse, a New Orleans cocktail waitress, is swept up in the intrigue of a vampire summit.

14 BUDDHA, by Deepak Chopra. (HarperSanFrancisco, $24.95.) A reimagining of the spiritual leader’s life.

15 UP IN HONEY’S ROOM, by Elmore Leonard. (Morrow, $25.95.) Marshal Carl Webster tracks German spies in Detroit in the closing days of World War II.

HARDCOVER NON-FICTION

1 EINSTEIN, by Walter Isaacson. (Simon & Schuster, $32.) A biography based on newly released personal letters.

2 AT THE CENTER OF THE STORM, by George Tenet. (HarperCollins, $30.) The former director of the Central Intelligence Agency looks back on his career.

3 PAULA DEEN: IT AIN’T ALL ABOUT THE COOKIN’, by Paula Deen with Sherry Suib Cohen. (Simon & Schuster, $25.) A memoir with recipes from the Southern cooking impresario (Food Network shows, restaurants, cookbooks, magazine).

4 GOD IS NOT GREAT, by Christopher Hitchens. (Twelve, $24.99.) Religion as a malignant force in the world.

5 ANIMAL-VEGETABLE-MIRACLE, by Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver. (HarperCollins, $26.95.) The novelist and her family spend a year eating homegrown or local food; an argument for diversified farms and sustainable agriculture.

6 A LONG WAY GONE, by Ishmael Beah. (Sarah Crichton/Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $22.) A former child soldier from Sierra Leone describes his drug-crazed killing spree and his return to humanity.

7 WHERE HAVE ALL THE LEADERS GONE?, by Lee Iacocca. (Scribner, $25.) The former C.E.O. of Chrysler protests the lack of political and business leadership on issues like health care and energy policy.

8 I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK, by Nora Ephron. (Knopf, $19.95.) A witty look at aging from a novelist and screenwriter (“When Harry Met Sally”).

9 PRESIDENTIAL COURAGE, by Michael Beschloss. (Simon & Schuster, $28.) Profiles of nine presidents who had the courage to make unpopular decisions.

10 KABUL BEAUTY SCHOOL, by Deborah Rodriguez with Kristin Ohlson. (Random House, $24.95.) To aid Afghan women, an American runs a beauty school in Kabul.

11 THE BLACK SWAN, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. (Random House, $26.95.) The role of the unexpected.

12 TALES FROM Q SCHOOL, by John Feinstein. (Little, Brown, $26.99.) Inside the 200 5 PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, which determines whether a golfer will have a slot on the PGA Tour, from the author of “A Good Walk Spoiled.”

13 THE AUDACITY OF HOPE, by Barack Obama. (Crown, $25.) The Illinois junior senator proposes that Americans move beyond their political divisions.

14 HOW DOCTORS THINK, by Jerome Groopman. (Houghton Mifflin, $26.) A doctor and New Yorker staff writer describes how doctors arrive at diagnoses.

15 MARLEY & ME, by John Grogan. (Morrow, $29.95 and $21.95.) A newspaper columnist and his wife learn some life lessons from their neurotic dog.

A Few Summer Reading Suggestions

Earlier this week, I made a presentation to a local book club. They wanted to hear about some books that would be good to read this summer. For the list of titles I shared with them, I looked for books that had been published in 2007 and that were fairly easy to read - not fluff, but not "literature" either. I hope you find something on the list that you will enjoy reading. Please feel free to leave a comment (good or bad) about any of the titles on the list that you read.

Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg.

Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber. Also try the first two in this series, Shop on Blossom Street and A Good Yarn.

Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs.

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy.

Queen of the Broken Hearts by Cassandra King (wife of Pat Conroy).

The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella

Quilter's Homecoming by Jennifer Chiaverini. An Elm Creek Quilters novel.

Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith. Number eight in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Also try Right Attitude to Rain, number three in the Isabel Dalhousie Mystery series.

6th Target by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. Also look for The Quickie to be published later this summer.

Blue Zone by Andrew Gross (former co-author with James Patterson)

An Unexpected Family by Joan Medlicott. A Covington novel.

Antique Sale & Appraisal Fair

How much is your grandmother's old jewelry worth? Is your yard sale find an antique or a fake?

Join the Friends of the Library on Saturday, June 9 for an Appraisal Fair at the Albemarle Library. Experts will appraise a maximum of two items per person for $5.00 per appraisal. Proceeds from the appraisals will be donated to the Friends of the Stanly County Public Library and the Stanly County Museum. This event will be held along with an Antique Sale downtown beside the Museum. For more information, call (704)986-3914.

New York Times Bestsellers - May 20, 2007

HARDCOVER FICTION

1 SIMPLE GENIUS, by David Baldacci. (Warner, $26.99.) Two former Secret Service agents investigate a scientist’s murder while one battles her own demons.

2 THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN’S UNION, by Michael Chabon. (HarperCollins, $26.95.) A detective investigates the murder of a neighbor in a Jewish settlement in Alaska.

3 THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. Illustrated by Alan Lee. (Houghton Mifflin, $26.) In Middle-earth, an evil lord wants to destroy his rival’s children.

4 THE WOODS, by Harlan Coben. (Dutton, $26.95.) A prosecutor must confront family secrets when new evidence surfaces about a murder and disappearance at a summer camp 20 years earlier.

5 RANT, by Chuck Palahniuk. (Doubleday, $24.95.) The “oral biography” of a serial killer.

6 ALL TOGETHER DEAD, by Charlaine Harris. (Ace, $24.95.) Sookie Stackhouse, a New Orleans cocktail waitress, is swept up in the intrigue of a vampire summit.

7 THE GOOD HUSBAND OF ZEBRA DRIVE, by Alexander McCall Smith. (Pantheon, $21.95.) The eighth novel in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.

8 I HEARD THAT SONG BEFORE, by Mary Higgins Clark. (Simon & Schuster, $25.95.) A woman marries a childhood acquaintance suspected of several murders.

9 BODY SURFING, by Anita Shreve. (Little, Brown, $25.99.) A woman takes a job as a tutor and becomes involved in a wealthy family’s tensions and rivalries.

10 * NINETEEN MINUTES, by Jodi Picoult. (Atria, $26.95.) The aftermath of a high school shooting reveals the fault lines in a small New Hampshire town.

11 BACK ON BLOSSOM STREET, by Debbie Macomber. (Mira, $24.95.) More stories of life and love from a Seattle knitting class.

12 THE RIVER KNOWS, by Amanda Quick. (Putnam, $24.95.) In Victorian England, an investigative reporter and a wealthy Londoner feign a romance while they investigate a man they suspect of murder.

13 FRESH DISASTERS, by Stuart Woods. (Putnam, $25.95.) Stone Barrington, the New York cop turned lawyer, tangles with a mob boss.

14 NO HUMANS INVOLVED, by Kelley Armstrong. (Bantam, $20.) A necromancer struggles to free the trapped ghosts of six murdered children.

15 DREAM WHEN YOU’RE FEELING BLUE, by Elizabeth Berg. (Random House, $24.95.) Three Irish-American sisters in World War II Chicago.

What to read this summer?

Recently the Charlotte Observer had a list of what books incoming freshman are being asked to read at some of North Carolina's colleges and universities. It's an interesting list of non-fiction and fiction titles. I wanted to share with you some of the titles. All on this list are available from the Stanly County Public Libraries.

• A Home on the Field: How One Championship Team Inspires Hope for the Revival of Small Town America" by Paul Cuadros.
• An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore
• Blood Done Sign My Name by Timothy Tyson
• The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions by Sister Helen Prejean
• When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
• The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

Check out one of these books and discover what incoming college students will be reading and discussing. If you've read one or more of these books and want to share your opinion, please leave a comment.

Thank You

We want to say a great big, huge "Thank You" to all of our patrons who took the opportunity to pay their fines during our Food for Fines promotion during National Library Week. The library was able to donate 445 pounds of food to the Stanly County Christian Ministries. We hope you'll join us again next year in April when we celebrate National Library Week.

Have You Heard?

Beginning This Monday
May7, 2007

For your convenience, PC Reservation:

• Allows for public computers to be reserved up to 24 hours in advance eliminating time spent waiting while informing you exactly what time your PC will be available!
• Requires little staff intervention - all you'll need is a library card with a PIN number to begin a session!
• Permits you two sixtly-minutes sessions per day with unlimited 20-minutes extensions (as long as computers are available/unreserved)!

With Print Managemnt:

• We can be a greener library! By releasing only pages you want to print there will be less wasted paper! Better for you, better for the environment!

Optimal changes to serve YOU better!

Internet Computers are Unavailable

On Tuesday, May 1 and Wednesday, May 2, library staff will be installing new software and hardware to manage computer sign ups. The new system will require that all library patrons have a library card in good standing to be able to use the internet computers. Any staff member at the circulation desk can help you get a library card if you need one.

Once the new system is up and running, computer users will easily register for computer time at a designated terminal. The new system will also monitor printing.

Come back to the library on Thursday, May 3 and experience a new and improved internet computer session.

Historical Fiction: Women of the Bible

Novels about women in history are becoming a publishing trend. A sub-genre of these novel is stories about women of the Bible. Here is a short list of some titles of interest:

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, about the daughter and wives of Jacob

The Canaan Trilogy (Sarah, Zipporah, Wife of Moses and Lilah) by Marek Halter

The Women of Genesis series (Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel and Leah) by Orson Scott Card

Leaving Eden by Ann Chamberlin, story told by Na'amah, daughter of Adam and Liliath

Queenmaker: A Novel of King David's Queen by India Edghill, the story of Michal, daughter of King Saul

According to Mary Magdalene by Marianne Fredriksson

The Gilded Chamber: A Novel of Queen Esther by Rebecca Kohn

You can find these novels and more at the Stanly County Public Library.

National Library Week

April 15-21, 2007

We have a full week of events planned to celebrate!

Ongoing events:

Food for Fines. For every canned or non-perishable food item donated, we will waive one dollar of your overdue fine (up to a maximum of twenty dollars). Food will not be accepted for replacement costs or charges for lost or damaged items. No food items are to be left in the book drop. All food collected will be donated to the Stanly Communiity Christian Ministries.

Give Away. Until supplies last, we have neat little cell phone holders to give away. Even if you don't have a cell phone, these are great to hold you library card and car keys.

Door Prize Drawing. Everyone who uses thier library card during the week will automatically be entered into a drawing. Winners will be drawn at each location - Albemarle, Bdain, Norwood, Oakboro and Locust. The Friends of the Library have donated a tote bag filled with a library logo t-shirt, coffee mug, copy of the book Grievances by Mark Ethridge, and a coupon for a free antique appraisal at the upcoming Antiques Fair.

Quilt Display. Celebrating 150 years of quilts in Stanly County.

Daily Events:

Monday. County Commissioners/Library Board of Trustees Annual Meeting

Tuesday. Library Workers Day

Book Club - Albemarle -

Story Time - Badin

Story Time - Norwood

Wednesday. Story Time - Albemarle

Thursday. History of Albemarle Program - presented by the Stanly County Museum

Friday. Book Club - Locust

Needle Crafts - Norwood

Come by any of the local libraries and celebrate with us.

Open Mike Poetry Night

April is National Poetry Month. Every year, we celebrate by hosting an open Mike night here at the Albemarle library. You may read your original poetry or a favorite published poem. Please call Melanie at 704-986-3761 to register.

Date: Thursday, April 26, 2007
Time: 7:00-8:00 pm

Other ways you can celebrate National Poetry Month:

• Check out and read a book of poetry.
• Memorize a poem.
• Recite a poem to family and friends.
• Visit www.poets.org
• Attend a poetry reading.

It's Time for the Spring Booksale

Preview Sale for Friends Members

Thursday, March 29, 2007

5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Memberships will be available

Open to the Public

Friday, March 30, 2007

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Saturday, March 31, 2007

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy

I have a love/hate relationship with Maeve Binchy. She can create the best characters, and I love them all - the good, the bad and the ugly. But, her novels are more collections of short stories. I hate that I don't get to follow any of her amazing character for a whole book. The unifying theme in her newest book, Whitethorn Woods, is a pagan wishing well called St. Ann's Well in the Irish town of Rossmore, that is being threatened by a new road. Each of the wonderful characters in the book has some tie to St. Ann's Well. And the last section of the book is an unsatisfying tie up to some of the stories. I would love to hear from other readers of Maeve Binchy to hear your ideas of her books.

Reader's Circle Book Club

This morning I was frantically finishing up the book for book club when I realized that book club is NEXT Tuesday - March 20th. So now I'm ready to discuss The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards. I hope everyone else has read it, or is working on finishing up. I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks of this book. It got lots of good reviews last year and was an unexpected paperback bestseller.

So I'll see you all next Tuesday, March 20th at 11:00 in the Albemarle Library meeting room!

Adult Winter Reading Program - Winner!

Our Adult Winter Reading Program has ended for the year and we have a winner for the $25.00 Barnes & Noble gift card. In fact, we have FIVE winners. There were enough prizes this year for each library location to have a final drawing winner. Thanks so much to the Friends of the Library who provide all the prizes for our reading programs. The Albemarle winning entry was for Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Our winner said that this book about a bachelor who takes in a five-year old and finds the love of his life is a GREAT book. Why don't you check it out and see what you think. Watch for our Adult Winter Reading program next winter for your chance to read books and win prizes.

Free Genealogy Wokkshop

Local Guide to Genealogy and Preservation

Date:Saturday, March 3, 2007

Time: 9:00am- noon and 1:00-5:00pm

Pre-Registrater by Monday, February 26, 2007 by calling 704-986-3755

• 
  
  Session I: Basic Genealogy


• 
  
  Session II: Materials Preservation - including documents, photos and textiles

Sponsored by: Stanly County Public Library, Stanly County Genealogical Society, Yadkin River Patriots DAR, and the Stanly County Museum

New Date for the Best Books Program!

Thursday, Febraury 22nd at 7:00 pm.

Please come and join me for the discussion of the Best Books of 2006. And, I hope you'll hsare your best, and worst, books of the year.

See you then-

Best Books Program ReScheduled

Due to the weather today, the library was closed. I will definately re-schedule the Best Books 2006 discussion. I have lots of great things I want to share with everyone. Please keep a watch out for the new date - I'll be posting it soon.

It's Time for the Best Books Discussion!

It's that time of year again - when we spend an evening discussing the best, and worst, books of 2006. I have spent the last year reading reviews and collecting fun and interesting information about books and authors. I hope you'll come and join me on Thursday evening, February 1st at 7:00 pm at the Albemarle Library. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the books you read last year. For everyone who attends, I'll have a great handout with lists of bestsellers, notable books, books made into movies, award winning books and authors who have died - all in 2006.

Cathy Pickens will discuss her mysteries Southern Fried and Done Gone Wrong at the Albemarle Library on Thursday, January 25 at 6:00 p.m. Friends of the Stanly County Library will sponsor this program as well as the book signing which will follow. Pickens' novels will be available for purchase. For more information, call (704)986-3766.