One of the most popular novels of 2009, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, will be discussed at  Book Talk on Tuesday, January 26, from 7-8:30 pm.  The author, an acclamied short-story writer, has written his first novel - the story of Henry Lee, a recent widower, who relives his childhood in Seattle and his first love, Keiko, whose family ends up being relocated to a Japanese internment camp.

Guest speaker: Dr. Iwao Ishino will talk about his family's experiences in Japanese internment camps during WWII.

The votes are in! BookBrowse.com has announced the 2009 BookBrowse Favorite Awards.  Over 4,000 votes were submitted, and the winners are...

• Overall Winner: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Books have just been selected for our January and February meetings!

January 12 @ 6:30pm:  Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

February 9 @ 6:30pm: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind : creating currents of electricity and hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

Please join us for drinks and discussion!  We meet at Dublin Square Irish Pub in downtown East Lansing.

Are you in a book group? Thinking about joining or starting one? October is National Reading Group Month, so if you're not in a book group already, now is a good time to join. Check out the following web sites for info on reading groups and lists of good books:

National Reading Group Month (with lists of featured books)
Reading Group Choices (sign up for their free newsletter)

Book Talk, the library's fiction book discussion group, will now be meeting in the evenings, with its first program of the fall taking place on Tuesday, October 27 at 7 pm. We'll be reading Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan. An impressive debut, this is the story of two families, one white and one black, caught up in the blind hatred of a small Southern town. FREE! No need to have a library card - everyone is invited to attend.

How do I describe The Story of Edgar Sawtelle? Is it just a good story? A thriller? A tale of survival?  Or how about all of the above? It's a beautifully written debut novel by David Wroblewski, a coming-of-age story about a boy who can't speak. He and his parents raise and train their own breed of dogs. His rather sinister uncle returns after a lengthy absence, and it's then that Edgar's world starts to fall apart.

Join us at Dublin Square Tuesday, October 13th at 6:30pm for our first session of Books on Tap.  Books on Tap is a new book group that combines good books, food, drink and conversation in a laid back atmosphere.  October 13th the group will be discussing When you are engulfed in flames by David Sedaris.  Not a beer drinker?  Come anyway - there'll be snacks & other beverages to choose from.

Books on Tap will also meet November 10th to discuss Zeitoun by Dave Eggers.

Check elpl.org or Goodreads.com or follow us on twitter for more updates.

The Help is Kathryn Stockett's New York Times bestselling debut, taking place in 1962 Mississippi where 22-year-old Skeeter has just graduated from college and returned home. She takes a job at the local newspaper writing an advice column for homemakers, but she knows she is cut out for more. Her mother, however, would just as soon Skeeter get married and settle down. Skeeter decides to write a book describing how the African American "help" are treated in her town by their white employers.

Recently I read, or rather listened to, Dennis Lehane's new novel, The Given Day, an engrossing, gritty story set in Boston following WWI. This is best-selling author Lehane's long-awaited 8th novel, filled with a cast of unforgettable character. It's a story of two families (one black and one white), the burgeoning union movement, the hunt for violent radicals and anarchists, corruption in the police force, the rise of the NAACP, and much more.

The City of East Lansing and Michigan State University announce the 2009 One Book, One Community (OBOC) selection, “The Soloist,” by author Steve Lopez.

The New York Times and Los Angeles Times best seller and newly released major motion picture, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx, tells the true story of the friendship between two gifted men, one a homeless mentally ill musician, and the other, an award-winning journalist and columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

"Brunonia Barry dreamt she saw a prophecy in a piece of lace, a vision so potent she spun it into a novel." So states Amazon.com's review of this debut novel. Originally self-published, The Lace Reader became the subject of a multi-million dollar bidding war among New York's publishing giants. It's been re-released as the first installment of a planned trilogy.
 
So far, it's been a great read (or listen, since I am listening to the recorded version), and here's a short synopsis:

The New York Times has named the 100 notable books of 2008.