Reader's Advisory

Going to see Daniel Craig in the new James Bond movie Quantom of Solace?  Check out my favorite James Bond resource The Jame Bond Encyclopedia by John Cork.  This great encyclopedia references all the James Bond films, the actors potraying James Bond, the Bond villians, Bond girls and all the great spy technology.  This book, along with our James Bond novels & films can be currently found in our James Bond display by the DVD collection.

Christy put together a great list of chocolate-themed novels:

• Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
• Chocolat by Joanne Harris
• The Girl with No Shadow by Joanne Harris
• The Chocolate Lovers Club by Carole Matthews
• Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin
•  Friends, Lovers & Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith
• The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
• Death by Chocolate: A Savannah Reid Mystery by G.A. McKevett
• Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson
• Charlie & the Chocolate Factory  by Roald Dahl
•  The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Fiction is arranged by author's last name in alphabetical order, and mysteries have their own section.

Looking for a light read?  I define a "light read" as something that's easy to read, not too dark, and not too long. 

Here are some ideas:

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

At Halloween, readers' thoughts naturally turn to tales of ghosts, witches, fairies, werewolves and vampires! Our collection is full of titles that satisfy that Halloween sweet tooth!
Our current book display in Adult Services has several suggestions, some famous, some not-so-famous:

The New Annotated Dracula    by Bram Stoker

The Dracula Dossier: A Novel of Suspense by James Reese

Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar

As everyone ought to know by now, not all fairies are nice!  But these fairies are pretty nice .. although they're not from New York and their manners could use some improving.  Martin Millar here tells the story of the Dinnie, an "overweight enemy of humanity, and the worst violinist in New York," whose world is knocked upside down when two very lost fairies from Cornwall stumble in his fourth-floor walk-up window and vomit on his carpet.  Well, despite the friendliness of these two Cornish fairies, it takes Dinnie some time to adjust.  And then some other Cornish fairies arrive.  The fairies have frustrating conversations with the squirrels in Central Park, because New York squirrels are cynical and do not believe in fairies. 

And then, there's Kerry.  Heather is quite frustrated because she does not play the guitar very well.  And then the Chnese fairies arrive.  After that, a war between the fairies ensues.  

According to Neil Gaiman, Millar writes "like Kurt Vonnegut might have written, if he'd been born fifty years later in a different country and hung around with entirely the wrong sort of people ..This is a book for every fiddler that has ever realised, half way through playing an ancient Scottish air, that the Ramones' 'I Wanna Be Sedated'  is what folk music is really all about, and gone straight into it." 

Halloween is on the way!  Sink your fangs into these great vampire reads!

Vampire Chick Lit

• Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowen
• Undead & Unwed  by MaryJanice Davidson (1st in the Betsy Taylor Vampire Queen Series)
• You Suck, A Love Story by Christopher Moore

Vampire Lit with Mystery & Suspense

• Blood Price by Tanya Huff (1st in the Blood Books series)
• Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (1st in the Southern Vampire Mystery Series- this series is the basis for the new HBO show True Blood).
• Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin (1st in the Jaz Parks series)
• Vampyres of Hollywood by Adrienne Barbeau

Vampire Classics

• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
• Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Don't forget to check out our special Vampire triple feature.  Our Book Discussion group will meet to discuss Dracula by Bram Stoker on Tuesday 8/21.  On Saturday 10/25 we'll be showing Dracula starring Bela Lugosi as the sinisters Count Dracula and Nosferatu, the classic silent vampire film. 

This year marks the 7 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.  Commemorate the anniversary by checking out the following titles:

• Touching History by Lynn Spencer (973.931 SPE)
• Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11  by Damon DiMarco  (973.931 DIM)
• 9/11: A Tribute (OVS 973.931 NIN)
• 9/11 Commission Report (973.931 NIN)
• 9/11 Commission Rerport (DVD 973.931 NIN)
• Fahrenheit 9/11 (DVD 973.931 FAH) 
• Inside 9/11 (DVD 973.931 INS)

 After 14 years, Elizabeth Peters has brought back art historian turned sleuth Vicky Bliss for another adventure.  When King Tut's mummy goes missing, Vicki, her retired art thief boyfriend John, and zany boss Schmidt head to Egypt to clear John's name.  If you're a fan of Peters's Amelia Peabody series you'll enjoy Vicky Bliss as well.  While I'm still eagerly awaiting the next Amelia Peabody adventure, Vicky Bliss & friends are keeping me entertained in the meantime.  If you're new to the series, you'll want to read them in this order:

• Borrower of the Night
• Street of Five Moons
• Silhouette in Scarlet
• Trojan Gold
• Night Train to Memphis
• The Laughter of Dead Kings

The Tudor monarchs of England continue to fascinate fans of history and biography. A number of biographies new to the library explore the lives of the Tudor kings and queens.

Slightly gruesome fact: May 19 marks the anniversary of the beheading of Anne Boleyn. In tribute to Anne Boleyn and the court of Henry VIII, check out these titles relating to Tudor England.

Fiction:

• The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
• The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
• Innocent Traitor by Allison Weir
• The Lady Elizabeth by Allison Weir
• The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
• The Secret Bride- In the Court of Henry VIII by Diane Haeger

Non Fiction:

• Anne Boleyn by Norah Lofts (942.052 LOF)
• Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne By David Starkey (942.055 STA)
• Jane Boleyn by Julia Fox (B Boleyn Fox) 
• The Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd (BIOG B More ACK)
• The Sisters of Henry VIII by Maria Perry (942.05 PER)
• The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser (942.052 FRA)

DVD

• The Six Wives of Henry VIII (BBC Documentary series)
• The Tudors (Note: Showtime TV Series- rated R)
• The Other Boleyn Girl (2008 feature film- coming soon!!)