The Bookshelf

We are now offering BookMatch, an exciting new service for avid readers of all stripes. BookMatch allows Skokie Library cardholders to receive a custom list of titles prepared by us.

To receive your BookMatch list, fill out our Reading Preferences Questionnaire as completely as possible. The survey usually takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete and will help us recommend the best books for you. What are your favorite types of books? Who are the authors you can’t stand? What book can you not live without? The more information you can give us, the more accurate your list will be.

After finishing the survey, expect to receive your custom BookMatch reading list within ten business days.

To get started, fill out your Reading Preferences Questionnaire.

With the weekend almost upon us, there comes a time to answer that all important question: what are we going to do with ourselves with two whole days of freedom?

Forgive us for playing to stereotypes, but we’re going to curl up with a good book. The weather’s getting warm, but not too warm just yet. It might be a perfect time for us to have a seat on the back porch and tuck into The Way Home, the latest novel from crime novelist George Pelecanos.

I’m a fan of more “realistic” crime fiction, and Pelecanos has always managed to suffuse his work with a definite sense of place.  A longtime native of the Washington, D.C. area, his books are always filled with the little geographic details that make the stories feel more authentic. He’s begun to move away from doing straight crime stories, and The Way Home looks to be a continuation of that trend.

As a fan of his books, and the filmed work he’s been a part of (he was a writer and producer on HBO’s The Wire), I can’t wait to get started on The Way Home.

What about you? Let us know your weekend reading plans in the comments.

By now I’m sure many of you have heard about Twitter. Thanks to extensive media coverage and an endorsement from Oprah, its popularity has surged in unimaginable levels. In April the microblogging site received more visitors than both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

So why are we talking about Twitter on a reading blog? It turns out that many of your favorite authors are tweeting regularly. If you’re a Tweeter (you can follow us @skokielibrary), you can keep tabs on your favorite authors, see what authors they’re talking too, and get some unique insights into their lives. A few examples:

• Fantasy author Neil Gaiman recently won the Newbery Medal for his youth novel The Graveyard Book. He’s also written a number of books for adults, including future classic American Gods. Follow Neil @neilhimself.
• In addition to the popular Princess Diaries series for youth, Meg Cabot is also famous for contemporary chick lit, including the Queen of Babble series. Follow her @megcabot.
• Harlan Coben is known for his pulse-pounding mystery novels, and his novel Tell No One was just adapted into a thrilling French film. He’s tweeting @harlancoben.

You can find the full list of 100 literary Tweeters courtesy of tech blog Mashable. Who are your favorite author Tweeters? Is there anyone you’d like to see on Twitter? Let us know in the comments.

[cross-posted from The Studio]

Attention Masterpiece Mystery! fans. Did you catch the first installment of the three-part series, Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh as the troubled Swedish detective? Any comments?

FYI, these are based on the popular books by Henning Mankell. Hint, hint -the Library has these!! The first episode, Sidetracked, aired locally on PBS this past Sunday night. It is being re-run Tuesday, May 12th at 2:30am. The next episode is Firewall. It airs Sunday, May 17 at 8:00pm and again Wednesday, May 20th at 2:30am. The third episode, One Step Behind, is scheduled for Sunday, May 31st at 8:00pm. The Library has orderd the DVD. If you missed out, reserve it now.