Blogs

Tuesday night 17 people showed up at Jimmy's Pub for a lively discussion of Dog Stars by Peter Heller. While not everyone enjoyed the book as much as I did, people pointed out and discussed the parts of the book that spoke to them.

For more information about the book or the author visit www.peterheller.net.

Enjoy apocalytic fiction? Try some of these titles!

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
The Passage by Justin Cronin
The Postman by David Brin
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Stand by Stephen King
World War Z by Max Brooks
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

Feel free to post any of your own favorites!

On May 11, the Books & Bagels group discussed Liar & Spy by

Did you know that the East Lansing Public Library is a prized example of mid-century modern architecture? Visit the MSU Museum to see ELPL and many more examples of East Lansing buildings that highlight this very popular form of architecture.  

Exhibit:

East Lansing Modern, 1940 - 1970
MSU Museum Ground Floor,  April 28 - August 18, 2013

We've now wrapped over 200 books, getting them ready for their big dates! At the end of next week we will be drawing the name of the lucky winner of 12 wonderful noodle entrees from Noodles and Co., one each month for a year!

There's still time to get in on the fun! Just check out a wrapped book based on a single sentence description.  Take it home, unwrap and read!  Maybe it will be the start of a new reading relationship!

And don't forget to let us know how it goes. Drop off the “Rate Your Date” form so you will be entered into the drawing!

The Memory Thief is the debut novel by North Carolina native Emily Colin. The story is basically Into Thin Air + Ghost but without Whoopi Goldberg, which is unfortunate because her presence might have helped.  I didn't hate this book but I certainly didn't love it. Colin's writing is at her best when describing the character's mountain climbing and out of body experiences (remember, said it was like Ghost). I found her dialog less compelling.  I also felt all three main male characters were much more engaging then Colin's female lead, Madeleine.  She seemed flat and this hurt the book's rhythm as the plot and resulting romantic tension hinge on all three of the male characters being in love with her. That being said, I did find myself up late one night wanting to finish the book, so I think I can recommend it to lovers of romantic fiction and poignant family drama.  

ELPL has The Memory Thief in eBook format, on the Cloud and on Overdrive.

 We are very happy to announce that eBook selection will soon expand rapidly for ELPL patrons.  In the last few weeks two major publishers, Simon & Schuster and Hachette, have agreed to allow libraries access to their catalog of eBooks.  This means that all six of the Big Six publishers (Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin, HarperCollins, Random House and Simon & Schuster) now allow libraries fair

 access to purchase their titles.  Previously libraries were limited to a very small number of titles from a small number of publishers.  This severely limited the selection of eBooks that we were able to provide to patrons.

The rules and practices of eBooks for libraries are byzantine and confusing. This article by Anthony W. Marx which appeared in the NY Times on May 1 does a wonderful job of explaining the confusion of the last few years. And while he applauds the publishers recent decisions for more fairness and equity he also, rightly so, calls them to task for their part in creating a very confusing landscape for libraries, library users and the publishers themselves.  

When should you, as an eBook user, see an expanded selection?  Very soon, with selection continuing to expand over the next year.  ELPL patrons have access to eBooks from two catalogs - Overdrive and 3M Cloud Library.  Having access to two eContent collections is important because only 3M has deals with all six of the Big Six.  All of our eBooks from both collections, as well as all our print books, DVDs, audiobooks and music are all listed in our online catalog.  It remains your best bet for browsing all that the library has to offer.  

Here are some easy links to get you started:
 

New 3M Cloud eBooks for May 

New Overdrive eBooks for May

New Overdrive eAudiobooks for May

This year's Edgars, awarded by the Mystery Writers of America for the best mysteries of the year, were announced Thursday night.

This year's winners are:

Best Novel - Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
Best First Novel - The Expats by Chris Pavone
Best Paperback Original - The Last Policeman: A Novel by Ben H. Winters
Best Fact Crime - Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China by Paul French
Young Adult - Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

For a complete list of winners visit www.theedgars.com

Today Overdrive, the company that hosts the Woodlands Download Library, updated ELPL's Overdrive site to the next generation of Overdrive software. This means that the next time you visit the Woodlands site to browse for eBooks and eAudiobooks you will undoubtedly see some changes.

In addition to offering a cleaner more modern website Overdrive now offers Overdrive READ, a technology that allows you to read eBooks in a web browser (click here for a list of compatible browsers). 

Not all of the eBook content availble on Overdrive is compatible with Overdrve READ.  Here's an example of a search for Romance:

Notice that only half the titles are available in the Overdrive READ format. 

What does this mean for you?  Here are some tips to keep in mind when browsing for eBooks on the Overdrive site:

Join me for a fun Mother's Day Craft Program this Saturday, May 4th from 1-2 pm. We will be decorating canvas tote bags with acrylic paints and fabric markers. Mom will always love a handmade gift. I will have all you need, so just wear your painting clothes and bring your creativity! Ages 4 and up. FREE. Call to sign up. 517-351-2420.

Books & Bagels
Saturday, May 11
2-3 pm
Grades 4-6

The last meeting of the Books & Bagels book discussion group for the school year will take place at the time and date listed above.

Please join Mary Jo to discuss Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead. This title is also available as an eBook in Overdrive as well as print copies and CD audio copies through interlibrary loan in MeL. Please call us, 517-351-2420, ext 6845 if you need assistance getting a copy of Liar & Spy to read.

I'm excited to announce that the activity for this meeting will be painting on canvas using pointillism style like artist Georges Seurat. If you read the book, you'll know why we'll use this style.

Please sign up at the children's desk or call 351-2420, ext 6855 and leave a message.

Thank you to Panera Bagels in Frandor for their continued suppport providing the group with yummy bagels and cream cheese!

Last year, after reading Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, I expressed the desire to read her earlier works.

The shortlist has been released for this year's Women's Prize for Fiction which was formerly called the Orange Prize. This prize "celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women's writing from throughout the world."

The 2013 finalists are:

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
May We Be Forgiven by A.M Homes
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
NW by Zadie Smith

The winner will be announced June 5 in London.

Saturday, April 13th
2-3 pm
For children in grades 4-6

Join us for juice and bagels, discussion of the book Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, and a fun activity! This fantasy book is full of interesting content that provokes a wide range of responses in readers. Listen to a fascinating interview with Anne Ursu from NPR's