Mark Your Calendars for A Look At Detective Fiction

Mystery and police procedural fans mark your calendars now for a fun and revealing progam at the Abingdon branch! It's called, "A Look at Detective Fiction." You will review all types of detective fiction, including the classic detective story, the 'cozy' mystery, the hard-boiled detective, the emergence of women as private eyes, and much more. Door prizes included!

Age Group - Adult to Middle and High school

Age/Grade - Adult
Event Type - Library Event

Branch -Abingdon

Day of the week - Monday

Event Date - Mar 30

Time - 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Contact # - 410-638-3990
Registration required and begins 2 weeks prior to all program/class dates. Please Call 410-638-3990

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

Blackwood Farm by Anne Rice Find this book in our catalog

"I enjoyed this as a "book on tape" and I believe the narrator added considerably to the enjoyment of the book. Find this audiobook in our catalog . It presented a whole different perspective on the Vampire. It also provided an insightful look into the ways of the South. 5 stars!"
submitted by a Winter Reader

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

Grown Up Digital: how the net generation is changing your world by Don Tapscott Find this book in our catalog

"Ever read Arthur C. Clark's short story, "Childhood's End?" Here is the modern version of how people under the age of 32 actually think differently and communicate differently from those older. These are the people who elected Barack Obama and didn't "campaign" for him (used the Internet & blogged for him). These are the people who don't recognize borders; who speak to equals who live overseas. Read this and accept your place with them or as a dinosaur."
submitted by a Winter Reader

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks Find this book in our catalog

"Another very good book by Mr. Sparks. This would also make a great movie! He keeps you guessing - you never quite know what is going to happen. I liked the story, the action, the romance - I liked all of it! I hope Mr. Sparks never stops writing books!"
submitted by a Winter Reader

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon Find this book in our catalog

"At Home in Mitford is a beautifully written story, filled with interesting and memorable characters, and set in a small mountain town. The main character, [Father Tim] is a 60-year-old Episcopalian priest whose faith is not a coat he wears, it's deep inside him. That doesn't make him free from problems, nor does he have easy answers. Following him as he deals with problems big and small makes for engrossing reading. I came away from the story with a warm glow and happy feelings."
submitted by a Winter Reader

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

S Is For Silence by Sue Grafton Find this book in our catalog

"S is for Silence - Grafton's best. Could not put it down, but was sad after I finished reading it. It kept me guessing all the way. Missing 24-year-old woman - dead or alive. Gone she was since 1953, along with a new 1953 Chevy Bel Air. Thirty-four years later, the woman's daughter hires Grafton's female detective to give her some answers. Various chapters flash back to 1953 and many people in the missing woman's life are fleshed out and their relationships with her described. The other chapters come back to the present time of 1987 and where these characters [are] that were so close to the missing woman. Back in 1953, so many people kept quiet about little secrets and what they knew about the missing woman, but 34 years later these same people have dropped their guard and bits and pieces come spilling out and it is up to the female detective to connect them together."

submitted by a Winter Reader

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

This Year I Will... by M. J. Ryan (Find this book in our catalog)

Could you find a more glowing recommendation than this one a reader wrote on her Winter Reading book log?


"This book is for anyone who has made resolutions or promises to his- or her-self & not kept them. Ms. Ryan gives a new approach, a new way of looking at the problem.
I have "known' the right thing to do about my weight & health but could not stick to the "right decisions." This book has changed that for me & for the first time I am sticking to an exercise program - not just starting one.
I have recommended this book to several people & it has had a big impact on them as well.
Excellent book!. If you only read one book this is the one to choose."

Women's History Month is March

I received this message from the Maryland Women's Heritage Center: "Did you know that the first officicial national commemoration of women's history in the United States was established in March 1980 when Congress passed a resolution making Women's History Week a designated celebration? Maryland also began its statewide Women's History Week commemorations in 1980, coordinated by the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland State Department of Education. Congress expanded its resolution in 1987 creating the first Women's History Month, which has been celebrated in Maryland since that time. Celebrate the outstanding contributions and accomplishments of historical and contemporary women who came before us and their extraordinary accomplishments during Women's History Month in March and All Year Long!"

For 2009, the national theme for Women's History Month is "Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet."

I will be posting booklists on Readers Place throughout March on women taking the lead in many roles.

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

Here are some more readers' recommendations from recently completed Winter reading book logs:

• "Gone by Michael Grant written for teens, very interesting premise; all adults (anyone over 14) disappears from the community which then becomes enclosed in a glass bubble. Remember Lord of the Flies (William Golding)."
  
• "Complete Guide to Investing During Retirement by Thomas Maskell ; entertaining as well as educational; basic sound investment advice presented as a "game". Motivational and comforting."
  
• "The Gate House by Nelson DeMille is a wonderful book for those who are or have been married. The author keeps you in suspense and sprinkles it with humor."
  
• "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan [by Lisa See] is a fascinating story of 2 women in China in the early 1800s. There is a very informative and interesting discussion about the Chinese practice of foot binding."
  
• "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas [by John Boyne] is a really great book for someone who is intersted in stories of the Holocaust. This book is from a 9 year old boy's point of view."
  
• Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin - " Great Story about sisters and the wonderful love they share. They fight but they always forgive because their love for each other overcomes all."
  
• Black Ops - "[W. E. B.] Griffin: one of the greatest storytellers of our time. Good book."
  
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larrson - " This will be my first nomination for my own book of the year 2009 contest."
  
• "Bright Eyes [by Catherine Anderson] is a good romance story and has some suspense & mystery woven in, of course there's a happy ending too!"
  
• Every Now and Then by Karen Kingsbury - "This book was another of her wonderful works. The Boxter series are also great escapes from the everyday chores of life."
  
• Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher - " Interesting, revealing account of Ms. Fisher re-acquainting herself with her own life experiences and relationships after having electro-shock therapy."

Movies based on books do well at last night's Oscars

One movie based on a book did superbly, and a few other movies based on books did well at the Oscars last night, Sunday, February 22. Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars in a range of categories: best picture, directing, adapted screenplay, original score, film editing, original song, sound mixing and cinematography.
The film is based on the novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup. Find this book in our catalog.
In other awards for movies based on books, and on a short story:
Kate Winslet won best actress for her role in The Reader, based on the book of the same name by Bernhard Schlink, translated by Carol Brown Janeway. Find this book in our catalog.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, won best art direction, makeup and visual effects.

Readers Going Nuts About Reviews!

In my blog of February 17 I mentioned that Winter Reading 2009 registration had topped the 5,000 mark. Completion of the book logs is also beating all records. I have also noticed that the proportion of completers who have gone that little extra step to use the back of the log to write a brief review is higher this year than others.

What a pleasure it is to reflect on what you have just read and to share your opinion with others! The high volume of responses makes it impossible for me to publish every review, but I am taking them at random and putting them up as I can. Your opinions are clearly of importance to you. I hope to publish as many of them as possible.

Here is an assortment of some of the briefer comments, both favorable and unfavorable. I hope that you enjoy reading what other people think, and that this gives you some ideas for your own reading:

• "I highly recommend ALL of Anne perry's works."


• "Baldacci should be a political analyst and an economic advisor to our President."


• Dark Summer by Iris Johansen - "Not one of her best. Loose plot - Kept expecting aliens to land."


• Next by Michael Crichton - "Humorous but thought provoking. Highly recommended."


• The Bevelved Mirror by Wanda Willis - "Reflections of an Appalachian family written by the author who lived it."


• Safe by James Patterson and Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown - " ...greta for anyone who loves mystery and suspense stories."


• Doris Day - "a long read but very informative!"


• Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Bill O'Reilly - "a great book and advice American youth could take!"


• Step On A Crack by James Patterson - " Domestic terrorist attack mystery at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Easy reading with anticipation for answer of who terrorists are. It kept me reading it, but I've read other more interesting stories."

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. Find this book in our catalog

One completer of the Winter Reading Program wrote this in her "Go Nuts About Reading" book log: "If you are a dog owner/lover you will especially enjoy this book. Beautifully written, and you won't forget it."

This is the summary of the book from our catalog: "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. David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes-the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain-create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic."

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

Three bags full : a sheep detective story by Leonie Swann Find this book in our catalog

Reader's Review: "Three Bags Full is the story of a flock of sheep that finds their beloved shepherd, George, dead. His body has been impaled to the ground with a spade. They decide to find our who has killed their master. This is a witty, off-beat mystery that is at times philosophically astute, as the sheep often take humans' words on a literal level to comic effect and then make amazing deductions of reason from them. I thought this book very sweet, funny and sad (in a good way). I would recommend this to anyone who likes cozy mysteries, [and] animals, and who is looking for something different."

People Going Nutty for Reading

At the end of the day on 2/14/09, there were 5004 readers nutty for Winter Reading 2009.

This number is the number of adults and teens signing up for the Winter Reading program and is considerably higher than 2008, when 3982 had registered by the end of the same week.

There is still time to sign up. Click here. To complete the program, adults must read or listen to five books and high school teens must read or listen to three or more books. Participants completing the program will receive a Winter Reading mug (while supplies last).

Maryland Humanities Council Announces One Maryland, One Book

Maryland Humanities Council Announces Choice for One Maryland, One Book for 2009:

(Find this book in Harford County Public Library catalog)

"MHC is delighted to announce that Song Yet Sung, a novel by James McBride, is the 2009 one Maryland One Book selection. Set on Maryland's Eastern Shore in the 1850s, Song Yet Sung weaves an intricate and gripping tale of escaped slaves, free blacks, and slave-catchers. McBride is an award-winning author, composer, and screenwriter, and the author of the New York Times best-selling memoir The Color of Water. We invite you to plan a discussion with your book group or organization. You can also join us at one of our programs across the state in September or October. Check our online calendar this summer to find a program near you, and visit the One Maryland One Book website for more news and updates!"

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

These were some comments from Winter Reading completers at the Joppa Branch:

One person wrote:
"For references to Maryland sights and a well-spun story, I recommend Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman. Laura will keep your attention from page one with lots of plot twists and turns."
Another wrote:
"The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan. Tan writes 2 stories, one with the mother who was born in china and her relationship with "Precious Auntie" her nursemaid. She finds out her "Precious Auntie" is her real mother. In the second story, the daughter's relationship with her mother who is showing signs of dementia. Three generations and how they related to each other."
Another wrote:
"On Wings of Eagles by Ken Follett could be considered a great work of fiction, were it not for the fact that it is a true story. Ken Follett creates and holds the reader's interest in a large number of the characters involved, including a few who would not ordinarily warrant a passing glance. It's a book that can be put down only long enough to allow the reader to catch a breath."
Another wrote:
In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming. "Strongly recommended; has an excellent plot line, strong believable characters. [I] especially liked the tension between male and female characters and the moral dilemma they face in their relationship. GREAT BOOK!"
Another wrote:
"Dear John by Nicholas Sparks is a must read."
Another wrote:
"The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick is a page turner; quick paced; romantic and intelligent."
Another wrote:
"I must recommend Keep the Faith by Faith Evans because she told a unique story; a quality story for real."
Another wrote:
"Roses Will Bloom Again by Lori Copeland is a nice clean book."
A Teen completer wrote about Devil May Cry 3 Code 1: Dante by Suguro Chayamachi - the first one in the series of animated novels, "If Dante's looks won't scare you, he'll definitely find away. If you need his help, just tell him in involves something supernatural. Against him, even the devil may cry!"

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

Silks by Dick Francis and Felix Francis Find this book in our catalog

Reader's review: "Dick Francis has been around for a long time and the way he works his story around courtrooms and race tracks is most entertaining. His son and he work well together."

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

The Lace Reader: a Novel by Brunonia Barry Find this book in our catalog

Reader's review: " 'My name is Towner Whitney. No, that's not exactly true. My real name is Sophya. Never believe me. I lie all the time.'

From her opening revelation to a surprising plot twist at the end, join Towner in the atmospheric setting of Salem, Massachussetts as she attempts to unravel the complicated story of her past. With the ability to read the future in patterns of lace, the Whitney women have harbored secrets for generations. Now it is Towner, compelled to find the truth about the disappearance of two women, who must separate fact from fiction in an effort to rebuild her life."

More readers' reviews from the Winter Reading Program

Blue Diary by Alice Hoffman Find this book in our catalog

Reader's review: "Alice Hoffman's beautiful prose takes us on a heart wrenching journey of love and betrayal - the agony of a young wife who finds that her husband, a pillar of the community and her true love, is not the person she thought he is. "Can she face the unthinkable and forgive the unforgettable?"

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

Yoga : the path to holistic health by B.K.S. Iyengar Find this book in our catalog

Reader's Review: "Yoga is the best book. Written by B. K. S. Iyengar, a 91-year-old master yogi, with 180 Iyengar Yoga Instsitutes named after him, this book is a Keeper. Good for beginners or advanced students."

Mad Dash by Patricia Gaffney

Mad Dash by Patricia Gaffney was the Abingdon book group read for February. It provoked discussion about the compromises couples must make to survive a long term relationship, and raised the question of how does a woman find herself? The novel is easy to read & entertaining. Dash Bateman is still grieving over the death of her mother & missing her daughter who has moved off to college. Her husband seems more irritating & aggravating than ever & things come to a head when she rescues a stray puppy. Andrew wants her to find the puppy another home, saying he is allergic (despite already owning a dog), so Dash walks out. She moves to their log cabin in the woods where she hopes to find herself. However, the reader does not just see things from Dash's point of view as the author lets Andrew speak for himself. Andrew appears to be very long suffering despite his annoying habits & is very patient with his wife even when he does not understand her. How these two work through their separation is the meat of the story.

Patricia Gaffney was born in Tampa, Florida but grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She studied literature at several colleges both in the US & the UK. She wrote a number of romances then turned to hardcover fiction. Mad Dash is her 4th novel after Saving Graces, Circle of Three, and The Goodbye Summer. She now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband & dogs. Patricia's website is at http://www.patriciagaffney.com/aboutpg.html

More Readers' Reviews from the Winter Reading Program

Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich Find this book in our catalog

Reader's Review: "Great lead - you're hooked. Unpredictable plot. Just when you think you've figured it out - you haven't. A view into a level of society - most of us are unaware it exists all around us."

Lincoln Prize

Lincoln Prize Winners

Two books are sharing the 2009 Lincoln Prize, awarded by the Lincoln and Soldiers Institute at Gettysburg College for "the finest scholarly work in English on Abraham Lincoln or the American Civil War soldier or a subject relating to their era." Click here for the news article from Gettysburg College.

The winners are:

Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson Find this book in our catalog

(we also own the audiobook of this title)

Lincoln and His Admirals: Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Navy and the Civil War by Craig L. Symonds

McPherson won the Lincoln Prize in 1998 for For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War, and Symonds was a finalist in 1993. Each author wins $25,000 and a bronze cast of Lincoln.

Readers' Reviews from Winter Reading Program

The Winter Reading Program is in full swing, and I have received a batch of completed book logs, where as suggested each reader has used the back of the log to write a brief review of the title he/she most recommends. I'm not going to name names, but for a while I am going to post a random selection of these reviews for you to share. This is the first one:

The Longing by Beverly Lewis Find this book in our catalog

"The main character Nellie Mae Fisher has turned down marriage to Caleb Yoder because they disagree on religious issues - not to mention the fact that his father forbids him to marry her. Her inheritance of the family farm is questionable while events in their relationship cause much tension.

This book is typical of Beverly Lewis books and gives many references to scriptures and [to] religious beliefs of the Amish people."

Valentine's Day Reading

Saturday, February 14, is Valentine's Day. Perhaps most of us like to think that we won't be spending Valentine's Day just reading! However, for those of us who like to curl up with a good romance at any time, I have compiled a list of readers' favorite romances from the Winter Reading Program. Click here to view the list, which can also be found on My Next Good Book, and enjoy!

February is African American History Month

On February 2, President Obama issued a proclamation recognizing National African American History Month 2009. African American or Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora.

A great many African Americans contribute and have contributed in the past to the rich and diverse literary culture of our country. I asked Harford County Public Librarians to help me with a list of African American authors and titles from as many different eras and in as many different genres that they could think of. This list represents the varied crative output of African Americans today and in the past for an audience with wide interests and I hope you enjoy it. It can be found in My Next Good Book, and I will be adding to it during the month.

He's Just Not That Into You

The movie He's Just Not That Into You, named after the relationship guide book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, opens tomorrow, February 6. The movie examines through several interconnected, fictional stories how people read or misread the behavior of others. The book, a nonfiction dating compendium written for women, is available in Harford County Public Library. Find this book in our catalog.

Here's a summary of the book from our catalog: "For ages women have come together over coffee, cocktails, or late-night phone chats to analyze the puzzling behavior of men. He's afraid to get hurt again. Maybe he doesn't want to ruin the friendship. Maybe he's intimidated by me. He just got out of a relationship. Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo are here to say that -- despite good intentions -- you're wasting your time. Men are not complicated, although they'd like you to think they are. And there are no mixed messages. The truth maybe, "He's just not that into you." Unfortunately, guys are too terrified to ever directly tell a woman "You're not the one." But their actions absolutely show how they feel. HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU-- based on a popular episode of Sex and the City-- educates otherwise smart women on how to tell when a guy just doesn't like them enough, so they can stop wasting time making excuses for a dead-end relationship. Reexamining familiar scenarios and classic mind-sets that keep us in unsatisfying relationships, Behrendt and Tuccillo's wise and wry understanding of the sexes spares women hours of waiting by the phone, obsessing over the details with sympathetic girlfriends, and hoping his mixed messages really mean "I'm in love with you and want to be with you." HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU is provocative, hilarious, and, above all, intoxicatingly liberating. It deserves a place on every woman's night table. It knows you're a beautiful, smart, funny woman who deserves better. The next time you feel the need to start "figuring him out," consider the glorious thought that maybe, "He's just not that into you." And then set yourself loose to go find the one who is."

We also have the audiobook on CDs.

You might also like these:
The man plan : drive men wild - not away by Whitney Casey. Find this book in our catalog
Play or be played : what every female should know about men, dating, and relationships by Tariq "K-Flex" Nasheed. Find this book in our catalog

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

This is the story of Nefertari, "The Heretic Queen: Heiress of Misfortune, Pharoah's Beloved." Find this book in our catalog.

The author, Michelle Moran is also the author of the novel, Nefertiti. Nefertiti was the Queen and wife to the Egyptian pharoah, Akhenaten, who deposed the old gods along with the powerful chief priest of Amun, thus creating powerful enemies who eventually destroyed his family, labelling them heretics.

Nefertari, the heroine of The Heretic Queen, was the chief wife and Queen of Nineteenth Dynasty pharoah, Rameses the Great. Rameses and Nefertari are immortalised in the vast mortuary temples preserved at Abu Simbel. No one knows who the historical Nefertari was, though they know her marriage to Rameses was a love match. Michelle Moran chooses to make her fictional Nefertari the niece of Nefertiti and the only remaining remnant of her family to survive a murderous fire and be fostered at the royal court of Pharoah Seti.

Though accorded all the outward privileges of a royal princess, Nefertari was nevertheless feared and hated as a heretic. She would have spent a miserable childhood being ostracized and bullied at school if it had not been for her constant companion Rameses. Their childhood friendship blossoms into love, yet Rameses is manouevered into taking another woman as his first wife. This woman is the puppet of the chief priest of Amun and his co-conspirator, Hennattaway, a royal princess and high priestess of Isis. The reason this pair are seeking influence over the first wife are slowly revealed throughout the book, as are other plots, and conspiracies. If Nefertari is to avoid the fate of being banished to a harem in the desert to languish away in semi-starvation, spinning and weaving to eke out a living, as many other spare royal women, wives, and concubines are doomed to do, she must scheme hard to get Rameses to admit his love for her and marry her. She has her work cut out for her since she is unpopular with the people who fear her supposed hereticism. Nefertari is supported in this effort by another high priestess and her faction, who have their own reasons for hating Hennuttaway. Rameses and Nefertari eventually consummate their love and are married. Though clearly Nefertari is his favorite, and he spends many sweet hours in her bed, Ramses still remains loyal to his first wife and fathers a son with her. Will Nefertari succeed in her struggle to be declared the chief wife and Queen, thus thwarting the mysterious schemes of Hennuttawy? One of the chief weapons Nefertari has in her arsenal is her skill in statescraft. She becomes indispensable to Pharoah in the audience chamber and on campaign. Will Nefertari both gain her own goals and also help Pharoah to preserve the empire?



I spent several happy hours finding out the answer to this conundrum and in the process learned a lot about ancient Egyptian life, politics, and customs. I found all of it endlessly fascinating, from the style and cut of diaphanous linen robes to the customs surrounding a royal birth, and the mortuary beliefs of the pharoahs. All of the detail contributes immeasurably to the pleasure of the book. I give it a thumbs up!