Westport Public Library BOOK blog

Diane Ackerman’s ability to so effectively convey the story of the Zabinskis and the people they helped should come as no surprise to those who have read her previous works. She began her career as a poet and has written several volumes of poetry. Although lately she has written more prose – books on gardening, psychology and neuroscience – she still retains a poet’s sensibility and her writing in all of her books is both poetic and eloquent. Ackerman often puts her own life experiences into the way she writes about the scientific questions she raises. In The Zookeeper’s Wife we see her keen interest in science and nature that she exhibited in her best selling book, A Natural History of the Senses. That compilation of essays on the five senses is filled with fascinating scientific, historical and cultural information about our senses. In An Alchemy of Mind, Ackerman writes about the complexity of the human brain. The lessons and meanings of play are explored in Deep Play, and in Cultivating Delight she observes her garden through the changing of the seasons. Ms. Ackerman has been the recipient of many awards and prizes for her work. You can read more about this intriguing woman on her own website.

Come and meet author Diane K. Ackerman at the library on Monday, September 15th at 7:30 PM. Copies of her book will be available for sale and signing.

Real-life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs has written eleven mystery novels to date (out of a contractual fourteen) which have been translated into 30 languages, beginning with Déjà Dead in 1997.

Her protagonist, Temperance "Tempe" Brennan, is also a forensic anthropologist whose lifestyle closely mimics that of her creator. “I based her on myself because it just seemed easier to model her on somebody I knew, though I gave her some flaws, like the alcoholism, that are strictly her own,” Reichs told Publishers Weekly in a recent interview.

Tempe is back home in Charlotte, N.C. and her attempts to identify two corpses unearthed during a housing renovation and an unidentified headless torso found in a nearby lake pits her against citizen vigilantes intent on a witch-hunt. There are disturbing clues possibly pointing to voodoo or Santeria and a local fundamentalist preacher turned politician, intent on using the deaths as the cornerstone of his crusade against immorality, claims that the bodies bear the mark of devil worshippers.

The television series Bones is inspired by Reichs' life and writing. All of the stories are original to the show but she reads every script and works with the writers to guarantee the scientific accuracy of the show. The series heroine is also Temperance Brennan, but her nickname is "Bones" rather than Tempe. As in the books, she is a forensic anthropologist and, in an interesting twist, she moonlights as an author who writes mystery novels about a fictional forensic anthropologist named Kathy Reichs.

To find more forensic mysteries you can simply search the library catalog under the subject heading Forensic mysteries.

There are a number of mystery novels which feature Harry Houdini.

Daniel Stashower’s The Dime Museum Murders takes us back to 1897, when Houdini is struggling to make it in the brutal entertainment business. Detectives call on him to attempt the most amazing feat of his fledgling career: solve the mystery of a toy tycoon murdered in his posh Fifth Avenue mansion.

Flash forward to the 1920s, when Walter Satterthwait's Escapade mixes spiritualism with a locked-room murder mystery in a tale featuring Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

In William Hjortsberg’s Nevermore Houdini also joins forces with Arthur Conan Doyle, in this case to solve a series of murders which eerily re-enact the stories of Edgar Allan Poe.

Houdini, Doyle and Poe. Who could ask for anything more?

Last week Marta gave us an informative primer on a growing trend: how to publish your own book via self publishing. Not only is self publishing becoming more prevalent, but she noted that several of today’s hot books were self-published. Building on that idea there’s another new format that might land you on the best seller list: blogs.

Blogs are normally thought of as a way to share your own personal reflections on life, whether it be on politics, your job, your hobbies or passion or just your everyday dealings with those around you. Now however blogs are becoming another way to break into the world of publishing.

Last Sunday’s NY Times featured an article about a woman who has a blog dedicated to living life as Oprah would. She already has an agent and is hoping for a book deal. There are quite a few published authors out there who started out in the blogosphere.

Food related blogs seem to translate well into popular books. Hungry Girl by Lisa Lillien is currently on the NY Times best seller list. Her blog about her struggles with food and dieting led to this successful cookbook filled with recipes and tips on dieting and weight loss. Chocolate & Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier began as a blog about all things food that Clotilde wanted to share with her friends. Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen was author Julie Powell’s attempt to document her re-creation of all Julia Child’s recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Many bloggers write about their jobs and give their own personal perspective on the working world. Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica will give you new insight about the restaurant industry from the waiter’s point of view. One of my personal favorites is Quiet Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian by Scott Douglas, which began as a posting on McSweeney’s literary journal. Mr. Douglas has written an irreverent look at the public library, from the librarian’s side of the desk.

The latest blog to book that just appeared on the NY Times best seller list is Stuff White People Like by Christian Lander. This is a humorous, satirical look at the types of things that well educated, liberal white people seem to treasure. You will be laughing along with Mr. Lander as you read this one. (Incidentally, the Sunday NY Times is #46 on Lander’s list.)

So if you’ve always wanted to write your own book, you might want to consider starting out with a blog. If you need a lesson on blogging, be sure to investigate our own upcoming library program on this topic. You never know – you may be the next blogger to appear on the best seller list.

There are two somewhat intoxicating mystery series on the shelves these days.

Nina Wright’s Whiskey Mattimoe is a recently widowed real estate agent in a small resort town in Michigan. She made her debut in Whiskey on the Rocks (2005) which received a starred review in Library Journal.

J. A. Konrath’s Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels is with the Chicago Police Violent Crimes Unit. When we meet Jack in Whiskey Sour (2004) her live-in boyfriend has left her for his personal trainer, chronic insomnia has maxed out her credit cards with late-night home shopping purchases, and a frightening killer who calls himself "The Gingerbread Man" is dumping mutilated bodies in her district.

There is plenty of edge-of-your-seat suspense, but lots laugh-out-loud humor as well.

Konrath is working his way through the bartender’s handbook, following the first book with Bloody Mary (2005), Rusty Nail (2006), and Dirty Martini (2007).

Publishers Weekly advises that fans won't want to miss this book “because of some surprising developments in Daniels's personal life and an ending that promises more shocks in the next installment.”

Author Linda Fairstein calls it “a hilariously heartstopping thriller.”

Sounds like just the thing for Stephanie Plum fans to pass the time until “fifteen” comes around.

To find other enjoyable crime fiction you can simpley search the library catalog under the subject heading Humorous mysteries.

Venice was our first stop and I fell in love with its charm. Donna Leon has made a career writing about Venice, in particular Commissario Brunetti, lover of good food, and fighter of political corruption. I am currently enjoying Death at La Fenice, but Leon has many other Brunetti mysteries from which to choose. For a real life thriller about Venice and the same opera house, La Fenice, read John Berendt’s The City of Falling Angels. Berendt is a great storyteller and this is a fascinating look at Venice and its people. He truly captures the magic of Venice.

If you prefer fiction, Vivaldi’s Virgins by Barbara Quick will let you experience 18th century Venice and the music of Vivaldi through the life of the musician Anna Maria dal Violin. Pompeii by Robert Harris has always been a book club favorite. This page turner will have you in awe of the engineers that developed the Roman water system. Harris makes the Roman world in A.D. 79 come alive again.

Rome has many historical and art treasures that take your breath away. After visiting the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, I really wanted to learn more about the artist who was responsible for the masterpieces we had seen there. Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling by Ross King is the story of Pope Julius II, the sculptor Michelangelo, and the creation of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. King‘s book is filled with details about the politics, the paintings and the people of the 16th century. This is a must read before you head off to visit the Vatican.

A vacation can be a great inspiration for your next book selection. I’ll be revisiting Italy with each new book I read. How about you? Where did you go on vacation recently and have you been inspired to read more about it? Let me know if you have any good suggestions for my next trip. (Paris maybe?)

By day, Bernie is the proprietor of Barnegat Books, a used bookstore in Greenwich. He has a cat named Raffles, named after the E.W. Hornung character.

According to Block, one of the reasons Bernie operates the bookstore is "to meet girls."

Block provides us with a convenient list of the titles on his website.

At a recent appearance at the library, the devious Mr. Block unfortunately could not – or would not! – tell us how soon we could expect another Bernie caper.

Next Sunday, August 17th at 2 p.m. the Usual Suspects Mystery Reading Group will be discussing The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams, book number six, published in 1994.

Bernie has actually been trying to earn an honest living but an unscrupulous landlord's threat to increase Bernie's rent by 1,000% is driving him back to a life of crime. When the cops wrongly accuse him of stealing a $1 million baseball card collection, Bernie cannot alibi himself since he was busy burgling a different apartment at the time . . . one that happened to contain a dead body locked inside a bathroom.

Hope you can join us on Sunday. New faces are always welcome. To reserve a copy of the book call 291-4821.

If you are looking for a more thorough list of “biblio-mysteries” – featuring authors, book store owners, librarians, publishers, etc. – you can check our catalog under the heading Bibliophile mysteries.

You can also check the Looking for a Mystery? site for bibliographies of all sorts of mystery themes.

If you want to keep ‘em cozy, then cozy-mystery.com is the place for you.

Do It Yourself! If you are a writer that means self-publishing. There is no traditional publisher. Instead, editorial control of content, printing, marketing and distribution all fall to the enterprising author. Some authors undertake the entire cost, some seek subsidy publishers who share the costs, the tasks and the control. Print-on-demand is another option. Often web-based, print-on-demand or POD publishers offer proofreading, marketing, jacket design and even ISBN service. ISBN or International Standard Book Numbers are those 13-digit identifiers, each unique to a particular book. ISBN is used for searching titles and selling online (and in the daily tasks of your local
library.)

Self-published books can catch on and find a large audience if self-promotion, a hot topic and talent collide… and the stars are aligned! There are at least two books climbing up the popularity charts right now that started out as self-published. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry has been picked up by William Morrow publishers and is moving up the most in-demand list here at the Library. Read about the author’s DIY experience. Another book gaining in popularity is The Shack by William P. Young. A novel based on the author’s life changing experiences, this story of faith was written for friends and family. That most powerful marketing device – word-of-mouth - has propelled it to a wide audience. Watch an interview with William Paul Young.

Here are a few other books that started out self-published:

• Spartacus by Howard Fast


• Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield


• Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer


• What Color is your Parachute by Richard Nelson Bolles


• In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters


• Eragon by Christopher Paolini

  Current technology such as the proliferation of media channels and blogging have contributed to the steady increase in DIY publishing.
  

Have you noticed the media flurry about the closing of 600 Starbucks locations? Only five of those closed are in Connecticut- the nearest on Kings Highway in Fairfield. Folks in Newark, New Jersey are especially upset about losing their Starbucks, as it was regarded as an important “third place.” A third place refers to the social surroundings other than home and workplace which anchor community life and provide opportunities for face-to-face social interaction.

A true third place is free or inexpensive (guess Starbucks missed that aspect), has food and drink, is highly accessible and proximate for many, involves regulars and is welcoming and comfortable. (This definition comes from Ray Oldenburg’s book The Great Good Place.) Telecommuting has added to the significance of the third place. Public wi-fi means there is a happy medium available between home and office for those whose lives center on their technology.

So…..what’s our favorite third place in Westport? Of course, it’s the Library! Social well being and psychological health depend upon community; informal gathering places create community. You might say that the Westport Library has been meeting some of those third place needs for 100 years. And since the Café was added a few years ago, you can even enjoy some Starbucks-type refreshment. See you at the Library.

One of the hottest new series features 75-year old Gladdy Gold, Florida’s oldest private eye.

We meet Gladdy in Getting Old is Murder, the first title in a series of by Rita Lakin.

When Gladdy’s neighbor Selma dies, she is sad, but not shocked. Then when her best friend Francie dies, she begins to be suspicious since both women died around the time of their birthdays.

When the police won’t listen to her Gladdy starts investigating on her own with a gang of fellow Fort Lauderdale retirees.

The sassy Gladdy – whom author Carolyn Hart calls “Miss Marple in Yiddish” – returns in her fifth case this winter in Getting Old is a Disaster.

Mike Befeler’s recently released Retirement Homes Are Murder features Paul Jacobson, an octogenarian sleuth who suffers from short-term memory loss.

I am happy (and envious) that Nancy Drew gets to stay sixteen forever, but I am also happy to know that as I advance toward inevitable geezerdom myself that I will be in such good company when I get there.

I wonder how old Jessica Fletcher is by now?

It is roughly 2,150 miles long and runs through 14 states from Georgia to Maine.

Although many assume that it is some sort of ancient Native American walkway, it is actually a 20th century creation, begun in the 1920s by private individuals and bought to completion in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

The first thru-hike in one season was not accomplished until 1948, and in 1955, the first woman to accomplish this feat was Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, aged 67, wearing Keds and carrying an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain which she carried in a homemade bag slung over one shoulder. Grandma completed the hike again in 1960 and then again at age 75 in 1963, which made her the first person to make the trip three times.

You can find a lot of information on-line, especially at the Appalachian Mountain Club Connecticut Chapter website.

The Library has many of the AMC publications, including AMC's Best Day Hikes: Connecticut.

If you are thinking about a thru-hike, the Appalachian Trail Thru-hike Planner will help you chart your course, work out a budget, choose gear, plan meals, get in shape, and otherwise inspire you toward your goal.

I also recommend The Appalachian Trail Reader, a collection of trail diaries, poems, and essays including the writings of Henry David Thoreau and the trail's founding fathers Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery. Excerpts from hikers' journals, from the 1930s to the 1990s, provide a firsthand, intimate portrait of walking the Trail.