It's Begining to Look A Lot Like Christmas

The holiday themed books are starting to arrive. We have just received several new titles. All guaranteed to get you in the holiday spirit. Most of these books are short, which is perfect for this hectic time of the year. So come in to the library, or reserve a book online, and checkout these new titles for the holiday season. Watch for more holiday books to arrive.

A Christmas Grace by Anne Perry

A McKettrick Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid

'Tis the Season by Lorna Landvik

Halloween Booooooooooks

Try one of these novels for Halloween.

Carole Nelson Douglas - Cat With an Emerald Eye

Stewart O'Nan - The Night Country

Nancy Pickard - Twilight

G.A. McKevett - Poisoned Tarts

Albemarle Writers' Group

Calling all writers in the Albemarle area interested in starting a writers' group.

Martha Harward is hosting an organizational meeting on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. in the downstairs Meeting Room at the Albemarle Library.

Fall Film Fare

• This fall there are a lot of movies showing up in theaters that are based on books. I know some people liek to read the book before seeing the movie and some people like to see the movie first. Which type are you?
  
  Check these movies/books out:
  
  The Duchess starring Keira Knightly and Ralph Fiennes, based on the book Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman.
  Miracle at St. Anna directed by Spike Lee based on the novel by James McBride.
  Choke starring Anjelica Huston based on the novel by Chuck Palahnuik.
  Nights in Rodanthe starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane based on the novel by Nicholas Spark. And set and filmed in Rodanthe, NC.
  Appaloosa based on the novel by Robert B. Parker and starring Viggo Mortensen, Rene Zellweger and Jeremy Irons.
  Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist based on the novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.
  Body of Lies starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe based on the novel by David Ignatius.
  City of Ember starring Bill Murrary and Tim Robbins based on the novel by Jeanne DuParau.
  The Secret Life of Bees starring Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning and Jennifer Hudson based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd.
  The Road starring Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy.
  Twilight based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer.
  Gomorra based on the novel by Roberto Saviano.
  The Reader starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes based onthe novel by Bernhard Schlink.

There is still time to Register to Vote

Friday, October 10, 2008 is the last day to register to vote for this November's election. You can download the form from the Board of Election's web site http://elections.co.stanly.nc.us/voterregistration/index.html or you can pick up a form at any Stanly County Public library location - Albemarle, Badin, Norwood, Oakboro or Locust. Forms must be filled out, signed and returned to the Board of Elections located in the Stanly County Commons.

Join the Reader's Circle Book Club

The next meeting of the Readers Circle Book Club will be on Tuesday, October 21st at 11:00 am in the Albemarle library meeting room. New members are welcome to join us, and there are copies of the book available to be checked out. We will be discussing The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard. The publisher describes the book as: Three families and three friends, their worlds inexorably altered in the course of one night, must confront the ever-unfolding consequences in award-winning author Nancy Pickard's remarkable novel of suspense.

Aspen Gold Readers Choice Awards

For the second year I have been a judge for the Aspen Gold Readers Choice Awards for published novels. This annual award is sponsored by the Heart of Denver Romance Writers Association. I was sent a copy of the three finalists in the Historical Fiction category to read and score. Under their scoring system a 1-2 is Below Average, 3-4 is Fair, 5-6 is Good, 7-8 is Great and 9-10 is Outstanding. The books I had to read were: Untouched by Anna Campbell, Lady Be Bad by Candice Hern, and His Favorite Mistress by Tracy Anne Warren. I liked His Favorite Mistress the best. We are adding all three titles to the Albemarle collection so that you can read them, so please check them out, read them, and let me know what you think about them.

Banned Books Week

This week is Banned Books Week. Celebrate your right to read by reading a banned or challenged book. Check out the library's display of titles that have been banned or challenged. Have you read a banned book lately? Why do you think it was banned or challenged?

Hot Topic - The Wife

Writing a book about "the wife" has been good for authors. There have been lots of titles published over the years.

The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
The Senators Wife by Sue Miller
Sunday Wife by Cassandra King
The Good Wife Strikes Back by Elizabeth Buchan
River Wife by Jonis Agee
The Wife by Meg Wolitzer

This year brings several more new titles about "the wife".

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
Novel About My Wife by Emily Perkins
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Professor's Wives Club by Joanne Rendell

You can check out any one of the titles from the Stanly County Public Library. If you can think of any other titles with "the wife", please share with us. And if you've read any of these books, let us know what you thought about it.

Oprah's Newest Book Club Selection

On Friday, Oprah announced the newest book in her book club. It is The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. The book jacket cover says this about the book: "Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm - and into Edgar's mother's affections." "Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires - spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward."

The library has several copies available for checkout.

Annual Friends of the Library Author Dinner

The Friends of the Stanly County Public Library are proud to announce that Susan Gregg Gilmore, author of Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen will be the featured speaker at the Friends annual author dinner. Susan Gregg Gilmore has written for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the Los Angeles Times, and the Christian Science Monitor. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters. This is her first novel. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

6:30 pm

Stanly Regional Medical Center's Family and Education Center

Tickets are $12.00 for members of the Friends and $15.00 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased at the Albemarle branch of the Stanly County Public Library at 133 East Main Street, Albemarle, NC. Please call 704-986-3755 for more information. Tickets go on sale September 1st and must be purchased by September 22nd.

Man Book Prize Shortlist Announced

The Man Book Prize is for novels written in English by writers from Britain, Ireland or the Commonwealth of former British colonies.

From India are Aravind Adiga and his novel The White Tiger and Amitav Ghosh with the novel Sea of Poppies.

From Australia is author Steve Toltz with his first novel A Fraction of the Whole. The Albemarle library has a copy of this book available for checkout.

Ireland's Sebastian Barry recieved his second nomination for his novel The Secret Scripture. This title is on order and will be available soon.

Two novelists from England are on the list. Linda Grant for her novel The Clothes on Their Backs, which is on order and will be available soon. And Philip Hensher for his novel The Northern Clemency. His newest novel is not available for order yet, but the Albemarle library does have a copy of his previous book Mulberry Empire available for checkout.

The Man Booker winner will be announced on October 14.

It's Football Time

It's football time again. Friday night local games, Sunday afternoons in front of the TV and Monday Night Football. The Stanly County Public Library has lots of great football books for fans and football widows alike. We have everything from biographies of football players and coaches to warm love stories with handsome football heroes. Try one of these titles:

Just Too Good to be True by E. Lynn Harris

Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to pat Tillman by Mary Tillman

Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury

Don't Bet Against me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life by Deanna Favre

Playing for Pizza by John Grisham

Quiet Strength: the Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life by Tony Dungy

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

September is Library Card Sign-Up Time

Get it.

• Bring a friend who doesn't have a library card in to get one and both of you will be eligible to win a $25.00 gift card.


• The adult and child at each location who bring in the most friends will will a gift card tot eh Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale.

Use it.

• use your library card anytime during the month and be automatically entered in a drawing for one of 19 Memory Band USB devices.

@ your Library.

• Check out the library's new web site at http://www.stanlycountylibrary.org/.


• Get a new library card with key tag.


• Get a free card holder key chain to put your new library card in.

Summer Vacation

What does a librarian take on vacation? This has taken a lot of thought - I want to have enough to read, but I don't want to add too much weight to my bags.

The Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo. My husband and I started listening to this on audio and both enjoyed it. We weren't able to finish listening to the entire thing (it's about 21 CD's long) so I am taking the book so we can finish.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien. This is a book that my husband loves to read. I have never read it, but I love the movie, so I'm going to give it a try.

That makes two books we'll both be able to read. I also plan on downloading The Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle onto my MP3 player. The library offers free downloadable audio books through Net Library on NC Live. My book club will be discussing it this at our September 16th meeting so I need to get it read.

And, of course, we have a Vancouver/British Columbia guide book.

And that's what a librarian takes on vacation.

I'd love to hear what you took on vacation. Leave me a comment, and I'll put every one's name into a drawing for some free summer reading.

Movies at the Library

The library is showing movies this summer for kids and adults. A great way to save gas money and see a movie locally for FREE and be indoors out of the heat.

Friday, July 25th at 10:00 am Charlotte's Web (PG) 96 min.

Friday, August 1st at 2:00 pm Under the Tuscan Sun (PG-13) 113 min.

Friday, August 8th at 10:00 am Bee Movie (PG) 100 min.

Friday, August 15th at 2:00 pm Casino Royale (PG-13) 144 min.

Teens' Top 10

Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. If you read nominated books throughout the year, you’ll be ready to vote for your favorites during Teen Read Week, October 12 - 18, 2008. Readers aged twelve to eighteen can vote online anytime that week.

Before I Die. Jenny Downham.
Betrayed. P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast.
City of Bones. Cassandra Clare.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Jeff Kinney.
Eclipse. Stephenie Meyer.
Extras. Scott Westerfeld.
Evil Genius. Catherine Jinks.
Glass. Ellen Hopkins.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. J.K. Rowling.
Ironside: A Modern Faery’s Tale. Holly Black.
Jango. William Nicholson.
Jinx. Meg Cabot.
The Luxe. Anna Godberson.
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports. James Patterson.
Saving Zoë. Alyson Noël.
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. Jessica Day George.
The Sweet Far Thing. Libba Bray
Tamar. Mal Peet.
Twisted. Laurie Halse Anderson.
Unwind. Neal Shusterman.
Vampire Academy. Richelle Mead.
Wicked Lovely. Melissa Marr.
Wildwood Dancing. Juliet Marillier.

Read as many titles as you can so you can make informed decisions about your favorite books when you vote. Encourage your friends to join you in TTT reading and voting—tell your book group, youth organization and any other groups you belong to to vote between October 12-18! The more teens who participate, the more accurately the winning list will reflect the reading tastes of teens all over the country!

June Book A Month Challenge

Knowledge
The quest for knowledge has driven generation upon generation upon generation of humans. Whether it was forbidden knowledge, secret knowledge, or higher knowledge having knowledge has always meant having power. The world’s oldest sin in the Judeo-Christian tradition is Eve stealing the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, forever linking apples with knowledge. Isaac Newton’s nap under the apple tree, getting bopped on the head and coming up with the Law of Gravity cemented the relationship. Secrets and the spies in search of them are always lively reads. If nothing else, read a book on a topic you have always been interested in learning more about. Feel free to write a review here on the library’s blog (but it’s not necessary).

Food for Fines Successful

Thank you to all of our library patrons who came into our libraries during National Library week and paid their fines with non-perishable food items. We were able to donate 254 pounds of food to the Stanly County Christian Ministries.

2008 Edgar Awards

At the 62nd Annual Edgar Awards ceremony, the Mystery Writers of America announced their 2008 winners. John Hart took home the Edgar for Best Novel for his sophomore effort, Down River. The Edgar for Best First Novel By An American went to Tana French for In the Woods.

2007 Nebula Award Winners

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have presented the Nebula Awards for 2007. Michael Chabon won the best novel award forThe Yiddish Policeman's Union. And J.K. Rowling won the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Memory Keepers Daughter

The novel, The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards has been adapted for television. Lifetime will air the movie on Saturday April 12, 2008 at 9:00 pm (check your local listing). Dermot Mulroney, Gretchen Mol and Emily Watson star.

March BAM Challenge Book Review

I finally finished the book I was reading for the March Book A Month Challenge which had to do with craft. I read Sisters, Ink by Rebeca Seitz because the 4 women in the book were scrapbookers and I am too. It was a good little book about Tandy and her 3 adopted sisters and scrapbooking, family, coming home and love. This is Rebeca's second book, Prints Charming was her first title, and this one will be the first in a series - can't wait to read the next one.

Now I have to find a book to read for the April Book A Month Challenge - something to do with "beauty". I hope you're finding some great books to read for these fun challenges.

2008 Pulitzer Prizes Announced

ARTS:

Fiction: "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," by Junot Diaz (Riverhead Books)
Drama: "August: Osage County," by Tracy Letts
History: "What Hath God Wrought: the Transformation of America, 1815-1848," by Daniel Walker Howe (Oxford University Press)
Biography: "Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father," by John Matteson (W.W. Norton)
Poetry: "Time and Materials," by Robert Hass (Ecco/HarperCollins) and "Failure," by Philip Schultz (Harcourt)
General Nonfiction: "The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945," by Saul Friedlander (HarperCollins)

National Poetry Month

maggie and milly and molly and may

by E. E. Cummings

10

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea

Copyright © 1956, 1984, 1991 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust from The Complete Poems: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, Edited by George J. Firmage. Reprinted by permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.

BAM Challenge - "Beauty"

This month’s challenge is to read about “beauty”. Maybe you read a book of poetry you find evokes beauty. What about reimaginations of the tale of Sleeping Beauty or Beauty and the Beast? Music and art are routinely noted as beautiful expressions of the soul. Do you find a certain public person beautiful in face and form or soul? Maybe the beauty industry and what constitutes beauty fascinates you. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and so is the meaning of the books you read. Feel free to write a review here on the blog.

Watch PBS Online for Free

Stanly County Public Library is one of North Carolina's libraries with access to NCLive's newest online offering - nearly 25o PBS programs, including the Emmy award winning series "American Experience" and "Frontline", as well as groundbreaking programs such as Ken Burns' "The Civil War", "Baseball", and "Jazz". Go to: http://www.stanlylib.org/ and click on NCLive to get started. If you don't have an NCLive password, stop by any of the library locations - Albemarle, Badin, Norwood, Oakboro, or Locust - to get a free password.

Author Nora Roberts in the News

Author Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb was converting an old hotel into an inn with reading themed rooms. Read more about it:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080222/ap_on_re_us/fire_roberts;_ylt=AubYSzkoti5PdYUhxbzDpPhvzwcF

News from Author Cathy Pickens

Southern author Cathy Pickens has lots of interesting news in her latest newsletter. Be sure to watch for her newest title, Hush My Mouth which will be available in February.

If you want the chance to see Cathy, she will be at the South Carolina Book Festival in Columbia, SC February 22-23. She will be closer to Stanly County on April 1 when she will lead the Let's Talk About It discussion of Paretsky's Burn Marks at the Cabarrus County Library. She will also be the Friends of the Library speaker for the Kannapolis Public Library's luncheon and discussion on April 22.

There is a new Southern Writers Blog that Cathy is participating in. "A Good Blog is Hard to Find" is available at http://southernauthors.blogspot.com/ and you will find a large group of Southern writers - names you may be familiar with and new ones.

Visit Cathy's website at www.cathypickens.com for links to interview podcasts and youtube book trailers along with her appearance schedule.

February BAM Challenge

The theme for the February Book A Month Challenge is “Heart”.

For the month of love, you can read a romance, or go with any genre that has a subplot of romance. Try a book about legendary lovers or even something in medicine about the heart. And then there is always a book with “heart” in the title. I’ve got a great list of choices to get you started – or you can come up with your own title that somehow relates to the theme of “Heart”. Leave a comment and let me know what title you pick and leave a short review if you feel like it. My choice is going to be easy this month – a romance novel.

Romance
Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer
Heart of Honor by Kat Martin
Be Still my Vampire Heart by Kerrelyn Sparks
What a Lady Wants by Victoria Alexander
Mad Dash by Patricia Gaffney
Alphabet Weekends: Love on the Road fro A to Z by Elizabeth Nobel
Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Love Letters From a Duke by Elizabeth Boyle

Other Genres
Blood Lie by Daniel Kalla
Heart of the World by Linda Barnes
Lover’s Knot by Emilie Richards
Dark Dreamers by Christine Feehan
The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella
The Guy Not Taken: Stories by Jennifer Weiner

Legendary Lovers
Casanova in Love by Andrew Miller
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
The Memoirs of Cleopatra: a Novel by Margaret George
Love and Hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and the Heart of a New Nation by David Price

Medicine
Every Second Counts: The Race to Transplant the first Human Heart by Donald McRae
The Alarming History of Medicine: Amusing Anecdotes from Hippocrates to Heart Transplants by Richard Gordon
Walk on Water: a Pediatric Surgeon’s Journey by Michael Ruhlman
Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living: Heart Disease

Books with “Heart” in the Title
The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Heart Full of Soul: and Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way by Taylor Hicks
Where my Heart Belongs by Tracie Peterson
Socrates in Love: Philosophy for a Passionate Heart by Christopher Phillips

Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

I read Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde for the Janaury Book A Month Challange. Our challenge was to read a book with the theme of "Time". The book I read is the latest in the Thursday Next series of books. This is a humerous series full of puns and literary allusions. Thursday, the heroine, is able to jump between the real world, Outland, and the book world where she has many adventures. Her son, Friday, is able to jump through time as a future member of the Chrono Guard. Together they have to work together in the present, past and future and in the real world and the book work to save time. The book was a little slow to get started but was worth sticking with. Great characters and a setting the is contemporary Britian but yet it's not the Britain we know. I hope you try this or one of the other titles in the series: The Eyre Affair, Lost in Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots, and Something Rotten.

If you read a book for this challenge, please let us know, by leaving a comment, what book you read and if you liked it.

I'll be sharing the February Read A Month Challenge soon.

New Oprah Book Selection

Today Oprah announced the 61st book for her book club. It is the self-help guide A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by German Eckhart Tolle. The Albemarle Library has a copy of The Power of Now and earlier book by Tolle.

January BAM Challenge Theme

And the theme for January is: Time!

Katie, over at http://bamchallenge.wordpress.com/ offers suggestions of titles you might want to read. You aren't limited to these suggestions, and may read any book you feel has to do with the theme of "Time". Here are some suggested titles:

Time Travel
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde
When I Fall in Love by Lynn Kurland
Brasyl by Ian McDonald
Historical Events, Places and People
The War: an Intimate History, 1941-1945 by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns
The Hundred Years’ War AD 1337-1453 by Anne Curry
The Dynasties of China: a History by Bamber Gascoigne
The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli by Richard Aldous
Historical Fiction
Annette Vallon by James Tipton
City of Dreams by Beverly Swerling
The Seanachie by Bob Huerter
Daughter of the Sun by Barbara Wood
The Religion by Tim Willocks
Fiction Set in Historical Times
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
River God: A Novel of Ancient Egypt by Wilbur Smith
The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer
Epic Fiction
The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Science of Time
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
The Nature of Space and Time by Stephen Hawking
Travels in Four Dimensions: the Enigmas of Space and Time by Robin Le Poidevin
The New Time Travelers: a Journey to the Frontiers of Physics by David Toomey
A World Without Time: the Forgotten Legacy of Godel and Einstein by Palle Yourgrau Time Titles
Five O’Clock Shadow by Genie Davis
Five O’Clock Lightning: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and the Greatest Baseball Team in History, the 1927 New York Yankees by Harvey Frommer
Midnight by Dean Koontz
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
The One O’Clock Chop by Ralph Fletcher (YA)
The Two O’Clock War: The 1973 Yom Kippur Conflict and the Airlift that Saved Israel by Walter J. Boyne
No Girl Needs a Husband Seven Days a Week by Nina Foxx
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle (YA)
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (YA)
The Worst Hard Time: the Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

Hasn't Katie put together a fabulous list? Remember, you don't have to read one of these books, you can read anything you want that has to do with "Time". I plan to read Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde. I'll post a review sometime this month. And if you read a "Time" book, post your review in the comments section.

Book A Month Challenge

Starting this month, I am going to participate in the Book A Month Challenge posted by Katie at http://bamchallenge.wordpress.com/ . Each month, she is going to post a new theme and challenge us to read a book on that theme. I plan to post my book reviews here, and I would love if you would join me in this challenge. You can sign up on her site, or play along with me here. Just leave your review in the comments section.

The Complete Jane Austen

From the PBS Masterpiece Theatre website:

The Complete Jane Austen, beginning Sunday, January 13, 2008, features all new productions of Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, and Sense and Sensibility. The lineup also includes the acclaimed Emma staring Kate Beckinsale, and the Emmy Award-winning Pride and Prejudice that made Colin Firth a leading man. Four of the titles -- Emma, Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility -- were adapted by celebrated screenwriter Andrew Davies. check your local station for times.

Persuasion - January 13, 2008

Northanger Abbey - January 20, 2008

Mansfield Park - January 27, 2008

Miss Austen Regrets - February 3, 2008

Pride and Prejudice - February 10, 17, + 24, 2008

Emma - March 23, 2008

Sense and Sensibility - March 30 + April 6, 2008

If you want to re-read the book before watching the movie, the library has copies available.

Movie Matinee

Books have always been made into movies for the big screen. Come to the library during January to see just a few of those books that have been made into movies. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Monday, January 7th at 3:30 pm

The DaVinci Code (PG13, 149 min.)

Thursday, January 10th at 3:30 pm

Memoirs of a Geisha (PG13, 145 min.)

Thursday, January 24 at 3:30 pm

Emma (PG, 121 min.)

Monday, January 28 at 3:30 pm

A Beautiful Mind (PG13, 135 Min.)

Thursday, January 31 at 3:30 pm

The Bourne Identity (PG13, 119 min.)

Popcorn is being provided by the Friends of the Library. Bring your own beverage. All movies will be shown in the meeting room of the Albemarle Library.

SCPL Will Be Closed

Monday, December 31 at 5:00 pm

through

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

in observance of

New Year's Day

We will reopen Wednesday, January 2, 2008

From the Page to the Big Screen

Adult Winter Reading Program 2008

Registration starts January 1st. Program ends February 1st.

• Register and receive a book light


• For every book you read, enter the weekly prize drawing for a movie night prize


• Read four books - one of which must be a book to movie - and be in the final drawing for a DVD player.


• Attend a movie matinee

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Holiday Closings

The Stanly County Public Library

will be closed

in observance of

Christmas

Monday, December 24th

Tuesday, December 25th

and

Wednesday, December 26th

We will be open

Thursday, December 27th

Vicki Lane--Appalachian Mystery Writer

The Friends of Stanly County Public Library will feature mystery writer Vicki Lane at the Albemarle Library on Thursday, January 17 at 6:00 p.m. Lane has received excellent reviews for her mystery series set in the North Carolina mountains. Lane's sharp eye for detail gets put to good use in her Appalachian series. At 53, Elizabeth Goodweather has been a resident of Asheville, N.C., for more than two decades, operating a small farm with her nephew Ben. Hear Lane discuss her heroine and the inspiration for her series.

2008 Book Club Schedule Available

The book club reading schedule has been set for 2008. Our first meeting of the year will be on Tuesday, January 15th at 11:00 am and we will discuss A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Copies of the reading schedule are available at the library. Books are also available for checkout. Please join us in January as we start a new year of reading and discussing books.

Newest Oprah Selection

Oprah has chosen Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth as her newest book club selection. The Albemarle library does have a copy of the book available for checkout.

Coming to the Badin Branch Library

Local writers, Jim and Joyce Lavene are graciously donating their entire Sharyn Howard Mystery series to the Badin Library on Thursday, November 8th at 6:00 pm. Everyone is invited to come to the Badin Library and meet the Lavene's. Find out how Badin became the inspiration for Diamond Springs. Light refreshments will be served. The Badin Branch Library will be the only library in the Stanly County Public Library system to house the complete Sharyn Howard Series.

Fall Book Sale

PREVIEW SALE

For Friends Members

Thursday, October 25

5:00 - 8:00 pm

Memberships will be available at the door.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Friday, October 26

9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Saturday, October 27

9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Sponsored by the Friends of the Stanly County Public Library

Author Mark Ethridge

Last evening, author Mark Ethridge gave a wonderful talk about his book Grievances and the writing process, and a little bit about the newspaper business. At the end of the evening he mentioned that his grandmother, Willie Snow Ethridge, was also a published author. The library does have copies of two of her books, I Just Happen to Have some Pictures..., and You Can't Hardly Get There From Here.

Nobel Prize for Literature Announced Today

Doris Lessing, author of works from short stories to science fiction, including the classic The Golden Notebook published in 1962, has won the Novel Prize for Literature. Eleven days short of her 88th birthday, Lessing is the oldest choice ever for the prize and is the second British writer to win the prize since 2005, when Harold Pinter received the award. Last year, the academy gave the prize to Turkey’s Orhan Pamuk.

The library has two of her books available:
a biography, Under My Skin
and a novel, Ben, in the World : the Sequel to the Fifth Child

Oprah Picks New Book Today

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the newest selection in Oprah's book club. The Stanly County Public Library does have copies of the book for checkout.


From Publishers Weekly:


The ironic vision and luminous evocation of South America that have distinguished Garcia Marquez's Nobel Prize-winning fiction since his landmark work, One Hundred Years of Solitude, persist in this turn-of-the-century chronicle of a unique love triangle. It is a fully mature novel in scope and perspective, flawlessly translated, as rich in ideas as in humanity. The illustrious and meticulous Dr. Juvenal Urbino and his proud, stately wife Fermina Daza, respectively past 80 and 70, are in the autumn of their solid marriage as the drama opens on the suicide of the doctor's chess partner. Jeremiah de Saint-Amour, a disabled photographer of children, chooses death over the indignities of old age, revealing in a letter a clandestine love affair, on the "fringes of a closed society's prejudices." This scenario not only heralds Urbino's demise soon afterwhen he falls out of a mango tree in an attempt to catch an escaped parrotbut brilliantly presages the novel's central themes, which are as concerned with the renewing capacity of age as with an anatomy of love. We meet Florentino Ariza, more antihero than hero, a mock Don Juan with an undertaker's demeanor, at once pathetic, grotesque and endearing, when he seizes the memorably unseemly occasion of Urbino's funeral to reiterate to Fermina the vow of love he first uttered more than 50 years before. With the fine detailing of a Victorian novel, the narrative plunges backward in time to reenact their earlier, youthful courtship of furtive letters and glances, frustrated when Fermina, in the light of awaking maturity, realizes Florentino is an adolescent obsession, and rejects him. With his uncanny ability to unearth the extraordinary in the commonplace, Garcia Marquez smoothly interweaves Fermina's and Florentino's subsequent histories. Enmeshed in a bizarre string of affairs with ill-fated widows while vicariously conducting the liaisons of others via love poems composed on request, Florentino feverishly tries to fill the void of his unrequited passion. Meanwhile, Fermina's marriage suffers vicissitudes but endures, affirming that marital love can be as much the product of art as is romantic love. When circumstances both comic and mystical offer Fermina and Florentino a second chance, during a time in their lives that is often regarded as promising only inevitable degeneration toward death, Garcia Marquez beautifully reveals true love's soil not in the convention of marriage but in the simple, timeless rituals that are its cement.

October is National Reading Group Month

Celebrate National Reading Group Month by joining a local book club. The Stanly County Public Library system has three ongoing book clubs that welcome new members:

• The Albemarle book club will meet on Tuesday, October 16th at 11:00 am to discuss Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.
• The Locust book club will meet on Friday, October 19th at noon to discuss Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard.
• The Norwood book club will meet on Tuesday the 8th at 6:30 pm.

If you already belong to a book club, take time this month to celebrate your accomplishments as a club. Share with all of your friends how wonderful book clubs are, and encourage them to join your book club or one that meets at the library.

New York Times Best Selling Fiction

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini


2. The Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child


3. Dark Possession by Christine Feehan


4. Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs


5. The Elves of Cintra by Terry Brooks


6. Play Dirty by Sandra Brown


7. The Quickie by James Patterson


8. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon


9. Away by Amy Bloom


10. Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson


11. Power Play by Joseph finder


12. The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury


13. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan


14. Sandworms of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson


15. The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva

Noted titles:

Songs Without Words by Ann Packer

Area Author Events

There are a lot of author events happening this fall in our region. I hope everyone gets the chance to attend one, or more, of these events.

An Evening with John Hart, author of King of Lies, will be speaking at the Historic Salisbury Station on Sunday, September 30 from 5:30-8:00 PM. A copy of his second novel, Down River, will be given to each person who attends. Reservations can be made by contacting The LandTrust at 70-647-0302.

A Conversation with Sue Monk Kidd will be held at the Salem Fine Arts Center, Salem College on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00 pm. General admission, which includes dessert reception, is $22. For tickets call: 336-721-2855.

Kathy Reichs, Forensic Anthropologist and best-selling author, and Dr. James Tabor, scholar on the times of Jesus, will present Dead Bones Talk & Silent Stones Speak: Solving Mysteries with Forensic Science and Archaeology on Tuesday, October 9:00 at 8:00 pm at the Anne R, Belk Theater at Robinson Hall, UNC. Tickets are $15 for the general public and can be purchase by calling 704-687-2599.

The Friends of the Stanly County Public Library present Mark Ethridge, author of Grievances at their annual author dinner. The event will be held on Thursday, October 11 at 6:30 pm at Stanly Regional Medical Center's Family and Education Center. Tickets are $12 for Friends members and $15 for non-members and can be purchased at the Albemarle Library.

Remembering 9/11 in Fiction

The library has the following novels written around 9/11:

The Falling Man by Don DeLillo

Extremely Loud and Incredible Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

The Zero by Jess Walter

A Disorder Peculiar to the Country by Ken Kalfus

52 Ways to Use Your Library Card

(for each week of the year)

1. Get to know your librarian, the ultimate search engine @ your library.


2. Update your MySpace page.


3. Research new job opportunities.


4. Find a list of childcare centers in your area.


5. Learn about local candidates for office.


6. Pick up voter registration information.


7. Check out your favorite graphic novel.


8. Pick up a DVD.


9. Get wireless access.


10. Participate in a community forum.


11. Find out how to navigate the Internet.


12. Prepare your resume.


13. Get new ideas for redecorating your house.


14. Get a list of community organizations.


15. Attend a lecture or workshop.


16. Hear a local author reading his/her latest novel.


17. Join a book discussion group.


18. Attend story time with your child.


19. Get homework help.


20. Look up all kinds of health information.


21. Research the purchase of a new car.


22. Trek to another planet in a sci-fi novel.


23. Call the reference desk if you have a question.


24. Research your term paper.


25. Learn about the history of your city, town, or family.


26. Decide which computer to buy using a Consumer Guide.


27. Check your stock portfolio.


28. Read a newspaper from another town.


29. Borrow or download an audiobook for your next road trip or commute.


30. Use the library's resources to start a small business.


31. See a children's art exhibit.


32. Volunteer.


33. Find a new recipe.


34. Ask for a recommended reading list for your kids.


35. Make photocopies.


36. Get a book from interlibrary loan.


37. Enroll your child in a summer reading program.


38. Take a computer class.


39. Hear a poetry reading.


40. Read the latest fashion magazines.


41. Check out a book.


42. Trace your family tree.


43. Check out a special collection of rare books.


44. Check out a legal question or issue.


45. Find out how to file a consumer complaint.


46. Learn about home improvement.


47. Borrow some sheet music.


48. Lear how to use a database or computerized catalog.


49. Find the latest romance paperback.


50. Pick up tax forms.


51. Connect with other people in the community.


52. Find a quiet spot, curl up with a book and enjoy.

"It's a Mystery" with Jim and Joyce Lavene

Local authors Jim and Joyce Lavene will be at the Stanly County Public Library on Thursday, September 13th from 6:30-7:30. They have had several books published this year, and will discuss how they write their mysteries. The Sharon Howard Mystery series is set in a fictional Badin and feature the local sheriff. If you like gardening, they also have the Peggy Lee Garden Mystery series that your knowledge of deadly plants could help you figure out who done it. Their newest series starts with Swapping Paint and is about race car driving.

We will have several copies of their books for a door prize drawing.

U.S. Poet Laureate Named

Charles Simic, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet has been named the U.S. Poet Laureate. The library has a copy of The Voice at 3:00 A.M.: Selected Late and New Poems published in 2003.

Book Club Sets Reading List

The Locust Branch Library Book Club has set their discussion list for the next six months. This lively group meets at the Locust Library on the 3rd Friday of each month at noon. Copies of the books are available for checkout, and they would love to see some new faces.

Here is what they will be discussing:

• August - The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards
• September - Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg
• October - Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
• November - Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• December - Gideon's Gift by Karen Kingsbury
• January - Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

Anthony Award Nominees

The Anthony Award Nominations for best mysteries have been announced. Finalists will be announced in September.

Best Novel:
All Mortal Flesh, Julia Spencer-Fleming, St. Martins
The Dead Hour, Denise Mina, Little Brown & Co.
Kidnapped, Jan Burke, Simon & Schuster
No Good Deeds, Laura Lippman, Harper
The Virgin Of Small Plains, Nancy Pickard, Ballantine

Best First Novel:
Field Of Darkness, Cornelia Read, Mysterious Press
The Harrowing, Alexandra Sokoloff, St. Martin’s
Holmes On The Range, Steve Hockensmith, St. Martins
The King Of Lies, John Hart, St. Martin’s
Still Life, Louise Penny, St. Martin’s

The library does have copies of all of these titles - stop by and check one out. Please leave us a comment if you read one, or more, of these nominated books and let us know if you think it deserves to win.

Volunteers Needed!

The Stanly County Public Library is looking for volunteers to deliver books and other materials to people who are home bound due to illness, disability or lack of transportation. The volunteers will work with library staff to select, check out and deliver library materials to home bound patrons on an agreed-to schedule. Volunteers are needed in all areas of the county.

Benefits of Volunteering

• 
  
  Satisfaction in providing a much needed and appreciated community service.


• 
  
  Annual service recognition.


• 
  
  Valuable and meaningful use of your free time.


• 
  
  Develop new social skills.

To get more information or sign up, please contact Melanie Holles, the Outreach Services Librarian, at 704-986-3761.

Here's Your Chance to WIN a Free Book!

I recently received a free paperback copy of The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard from the publisher, Ballantine Books. The book was originally published in a hardback edition in 2006. The trade paperback edition has just been released.

I wasn't going to read the book because it's a mystery type book and it's set in Kansas. But I'm looking for good books for my book club to read and discuss next year, so I thought I would at least try this one. If you've had a chance to talk with me about books, you'll know that I don't like mysteries; and having lived in Kansas, I sure don't need to read books about it. But I loved this book! I actually had to stop myself from reading one night because I wasn't ready for it to end.

The novel is set in a fictional small town by Emporia, Kansas (where I went to graduate school). I had to keep reading to find out who the Virgin was that was buried in the cemetery (and causing miracles), and I had to find out who knew what and who killed her. The ending was very satisfying - not a happy ending like a romance novel - but all the bad guys are dealt with and the characters I liked all had closure.

I plan to suggest to my book club that we read and discuss this book next year. But I'm still looking for other great books for my club to read. If you'd like to win my free publisher copy of this book, please leave me a comment with a suggestion for other great books my book club might enjoy. I'll draw a name from all the comments on July 28th and send them the book.

Author Read-Alike: Jennifer Crusie

Romantic comedy best describes Crusie's stories, and by introducing elements of mystery and suspense, she broadens her appeal. These are fast-paced, upbeat, heartwarming, humorous stories that address issues in human relationships - among lovers, families, and friends. Snappy dialog, steamy sex, and amusing dogs are all part of the package, as is the usually urban but definitely Midwestern setting and feel. To get a feel for Crusie's trademark humor and racy romance, try Welcome to Temptation.

Fellow Midwestern romance writer Susan Elizabeth Phillips shares many qualities with Crusie: spunky heroines with modern values, strong but vulnerable heroes, humor in characters and situations, snappy dialog, and an emphasis on the relationships among characters. Try her first hardcover title, This Heart of Mine.

Millie Criswell makes another good suggestion for Crusie readers. Criswell's books are also Midwestern in setting, humorous, and feature quirky characters. Recipes are an added draw. The Trouble With Mary is the first of her series of linked titles.

Although Janet Evanovich comes immediately to mind as a similar author, other mystery writers might appeal equally. Gillian Roberts writes with similar verve, combing humor with more serious issues and romantic interest. Sarah Shankman writes outrageously humorous, even bizarre romantic mysteries.

Mary Kay Andrews debut novel, Savannah Blues, stars a sassy heroine and includes a steamy southern setting and romance, irreverent humor, and antique lore. Not to mention a dog.

I hope everyone enjoys these suggestions from Joyce Saricks, author of Reader's Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction, and regular contributor to NoveList.

Best Crime Novels

I wanted to share with you a great list of the "Best Crime Novels" as compiled by Book List magazine. All the "*" titles are available in the Stanly County Public Library system. Use the link to the right to connect to the library online Public Access Catalog to place a reserve on any of the titles you are interested in. The titles we don't currently have will be ordered, so watch for them.

The Broken Shore by Peter Temple

The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees

*Echo Park by Michael Connelly

*Free Fire by C.J. Box

*The Foreign Correspondent by Alan Furst

*The Limehouse Text by Will Thomas

The Meaning of the Night: A Confession by Michael Cox

*Vicious Circle by Robert Littell

*Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

*The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

*The Zero by Jess Walter

And if none of the "best" books sparked your interest, then maybe one of these titles by rising stars will.

*Codex by Lev Grossman
*Still Life by Louise Penny
*Speak of the Devil by Richard Hawke
*Blood of Angels and The Last Goodbye by Reed Arvin
*The Sweet and the Dead by Milton T. Burton
*Sliver of Truth and Dead at Daybreak by Deon Meyer
*The Smoke by Tony Broadbent

Albemarle Reader's Circle Book Club

A False Sense of Well Being by Jeanne Braselton

• 
  
  Tuesday, June 19


• 
  
  11:00 am

At 38, Jessie Maddox has a comfortable life in Glenville, GA, with Turner, the most reliable, responsible husband in the world. But after the storybook romance, "happily ever after" never came. Now why can't she stop picturing herself as the perfect Grieving widow?

Braselton's debut novel carries recommendations on the cover from Southern writing greats; Anne Rivers Siddons, Kaye Gibbons, and Lee Smith.

Aspen Gold Reader's Choice Awards

This is a contest sponsored by the Heart of Denver Romance Writers. The purpose of the ASPEN GOLD is to inspire, motivate and reward published authors of romance fiction. I am serving as a judge for the Contemporary Novel Category. I received three titles to read and judge. The first is Simple Gifts by Shelley Galloway, and it is a Harlequin American Romance. The second book is The Nurse's Longed-For Family by Fiona Lowe, and it is a Harlequin Mills Boon Medical. The last book is The Cowboy's Return by Linda Warren, and it also is a harlequin American Romance. I read all three great books over the long Memorial Day weekend. This week I will be sending in my scores. Winners will be announced July 18th. I'm donating my signed copies of the books to the library, so I hope everyone tries these wonderful stories. If you read these books let me know what you think of them and we can compare scores.

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.