Genealogy Titles Coming Soon to TPL

The New York Times Bestseller List for December 23 and 30

December 23: Fiction and nonfiction.

December 30: Fiction and nonfiction.

The New York Times Bestseller List for December 2, 9 and 15

December 2: Fiction and nonfiction.

December 9: Fiction and nonfiction.
December 15: Fiction and nonfiction.

Book Sculptures

On Tuesday, December 4 at 6:30pm, we are holding a program called Book Crafting for Adults, where you make creative gifts out of old books. This got me thinking about the mysterious Edinburgh book sculptures.  These were a series of book sculptures, made by an anonymous artist, that were left in various Edinburgh institutions celebrating "libraries, books, words and ideas". As it happens, they are going on tour--an article can be found about it here:

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/scotland-blog/2012/jul/31/scotland-poetry-book-sculptures

And since Scotland is a little far away, here is a slideshow of the sculptures:

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/9577165/Wigtown-Book-Festival-2012-book-sculptures-in-pictures.html

Book Crafting for Adults, Tuesday, December 4, 6:30pm; Make creative gifts from old books. Bring your friends! We need 6 participants to run. Registration required - Call the library (207) 725 1727, email emma@topshamlibrary.org or sign up at the circulation desk.

The New York Times Bestseller List for November 18 and 25

November 18: Fiction and nonfiction.
November 25: Fiction and nonfiction.

The New York Times Bestseller List for November 4 and 11

November 4: Fiction and nonfiction.
November 11: Fiction and nonfiction.

The New York Times Bestseller Lists for October

October 7: Fiction and nonfiction.

October 14: Fiction and nonfiction.

October 21: Fiction and nonfiction.

October 28: Fiction and nonfiction.

The New York Times Bestseller List September 30

Fiction and nonfiction.

Review by Linda

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

Brilliant! is the one word description I would give to Anthony Horowitz’s House of Silk. The characters came to life through Mr. Horowitz’s pen; and his descriptions of the life of the privileged, lavish and indulgent, juxtaposed against the desperation of the poor and the orphaned provided the perfect setting; all wrapped up in the dirt and fog of a raw English winter. I was there with Sherlock Holmes and Watson in Victorian London.  But it wasn’t only the weather that chilled me to the bone.  The subject was so shocking to Watson that he ordered the manuscript not to be published for 100 years.  With two very different murders to investigate the plot is deliciously complex. While some answers seemed obvious, others took me by surprise.  This mystery was fulfilling on every level. The writing was beautiful, the descriptions vivid, and the puzzle engaging right to the end. Written as a reflection by Dr. Watson, some years after the death of Sherlock Holmes, the characters were completely true to the originals. It’s no wonder that this was the first Sherlock Holmes novel written by another author to receive the authorization of the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate. 

What is your favorite banned book?

We're celebrating Banned Book Week all month! What is your favorite banned book? Did a banned book have an effect on you growing up? Tell us all about it! Use the comments box below to share you experience or complete a Banned Book bookmark when you visit the library. Here are some banned book lists to spark your memory:

ALA timeline 30-years-liberating-literature
ALA's frequently challenged of the 21st century
ALA's frequently challenged classics

Huffington Post's most surprising banned books

The Banned Book That Changed My Life by Emma

If I had to name any banned book that had an effect on me growing up, I would have to say One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. A cult classic about a group of middle-aged men in a psychiatric hospital may seem like an odd book to choose, but it had a pivotal role in my development as a writer, reader, teacher and librarian.

I was a young teenager flicking through some old paperbacks at a yard sale when one with Jack Nicholson on the cover caught my eye. I knew he was a famous actor, and I was going through my somewhat pretentious movie phase, so I was torn between this book and one featuring short stories by Alfred Hitchcock. I only had enough money for one, but seeing my indecision, the man running the yard sale let me have the Kesey book for free.

I’d always been a reader, but One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest was unlike anything I had ever read before. It marked the transition between my reading as a child and an adult. The story is seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, one of the great unreliable narrators in modern literature. Although he is observant and sees details that most wouldn’t, his shaky mental health means he relays things that cannot be true. Prior to this, I had always taken the words of the narrator as the absolute truth, so this book was the literary equivalent of realizing that grown-ups can lie. It made me see stories as not just something I could consume wholeheartedly, but something I could engage in and collaborate with, study, and analyze. One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, a banned book, opened a world of stories to me that has shaped my life ever since.

My Favorite Banned Books by Cyndi

When thinking about what to write for our banned book week blog, it occurred to me that many of my favorite books have come under the censorship spotlight.  I was a young teenager when I read The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier for the first time.  Cormier’s book was so remarkably different from anything I had read up to that point.   The adult characters were far from perfect, the lead character was flawed and not always likable, life was portrayed as often unfair and the ending was not a happy one!  To this day I still think about that book.

From the pages of The Chocolate War and other books by Cormier, I explored the wild with Jack London and Joseph Conrad, shivered my way through many Stephen King’s novels, felt the sadness of Ernest Hemmingway’s characters and still try to wrap my mind around the senselessness of the crime committed in Truman Capote’s story In Cold Blood.  

For me, the definition of a great book is when I continue to carry a piece of the story with me long after the last page has been read.

Some thoughts for Banned Book Week by Susan

Most folks who are concerned about removing books, DVD's and CD's from library shelves are well intentioned.  They truly feel that the content-- the words, ideas, pictures, or sounds--are detrimental to someone.  They don't want a child or a teen or someone they care about to run into something that might cause embarrassment, confusion, shock, or offence.

A public library in the US is one of the most subversive places anywhere. Libraries are intended to be bastions of democracy.  They are intended to be a place for self-education, self-enrichment and THE place where ALL ideas can be reviewed without judgment. Any good public library should have something to offend everyone!

We all have the ability to choose whether to read, view or listen to something or not.  Even young children understand when a parent says, "This is not for us.  Let's keep looking for another book."  We all have the right to decide what we wish to share with our children and what we want to explore ourselves.  We DO NOT have the right to decide for the ENTIRE community.  Celebrate BANNED BOOKS!

Lynne's Banned Books

It's amazing how many books that I read growing up are on this list! Among my favorites would be "Of Mice and Men" by Steinbeck, "The Outsiders" by Hinton and as of recent, "The Hunger Games".  I remember pulling "Of Mice and Men" off my grandmother's old bookshelf numerous times to read over and over again!  "To Kill a Mockingbrd", The Diary of Anne Frank" and "A Wrinkle in Time" were also memorable choices of mine.  Some of these books do bring up some serious subjects. There will always be subject matter that does not sit well with others, but it's fortunate that we are given the choice to read what we choose.  Many a great book has opened up dialogues about subjects that would not neccesarily have occurred.  So pick up a great book and start reading!

Banned books that I have read-Julie

To Kill a Mockingbird
     My all-time favorite book.  One man standing up for another while a daughter watches with naive  and trusting eyes.
Lord of the Flies
      Loved it but scared me.  I was their age when I read it and the pig head really scared me.  It was frightening to see how savage we can become.
The Great Gatsby
      Junior in high school when I first read this.  I loved this book.  It was about a glittery world with a much darker underside.  I learned that there is more than what you can see to everything, from this book!
Where the Wild Things Are
      I know, I couldn't believe this was banned either!  I learned that I could be angry and still be loved .  I learned that imagination could free you!  It's good to have fun but there is a time and place for all things!
Lord of the Rings 
      I chose to read these books rather than Animal Farm  (another banned book).  Good triumphs over evil.  Evil sees everything.  Friends are needed.  Different races can work together for a common good.  Learn a new language!

Banned or challenged books can teach us many things but I think their most important lesson is the freedom to read whatever we want is an awesome thing!  Tell us about some of your favorite banned or challenged books that you have read!

Boo to the Ban! by Linda

It was the mid 1960’s and there was a new controversial TV show on the air starring a youthful and handsome Ryan O’Neil. As a young teen I was instantly enthralled. Even then I knew that the book was always better so I bought the book Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. I was quite proud of reading the book because it was an adult book and pretty thick too. So I eagerly added it to my school reading list. I’ll never forget being pulled aside by my teacher and told that I must take that book off my list. I was very indignant. But my teacher told me I had to take it off my list because this list would be going to high school with me, and it wouldn’t do for those teachers to think I was “that kind of girl”. She stood over me and watched while I reluctantly erased my entry. It was my first personal experience with censorship. I didn’t like it then; and I still don’t!

The New York Times Bestseller List September 9, 16 and 23

  September 9: Fiction and nonfiction.

  September 16: Fiction and nonfiction.

  September 23: Fiction and nonfiction.

The New York Times Bestseller List September 2

  Fiction and nonfiction.

A Review from Lynne!

One of the last books I read was “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn.  It was a combination of suspense and psychological thriller.  It’s the story of a seemingly happy couple and then one day the “missus” is gone!  The story switches back and forth between the two main characters and you, the reader, are trying to figure out what happened to her.  The story had many twists and turns right up to the very end!   Each time I finished a chapter, I had to read the next.  There was a race to the finish to determine which person (the husband or the wife) was the nuttiest! I would recommend the book for those of you who like to be kept guessing!