The Bookshelf

This Saturday October 24, Poisoned Pen Press and the Poisoned Pen mystery bookstore in Arizona are co-hosting the world’s first online mystery convention. For $25, you can log on to Poisoned Pen WebCon and participate in live interactive discussions, author panels, on-demand videos and audio presentations, book trailers and live chat rooms. Registrants also will receive a book voucher and free ebooks. Participating authors include a who’s-who of authors, including Dana Stabenow, Lee Child, Laurie R. King, Nevada Barr and others. Click here for a schedule of panel discussions and for a list of system requirements and the multimedia tools you’ll need to use to take part.

“The Capture of Cerberus” is available at the Daily Mail, a British newspaper.  This is great news for all you Agatha Christie fanatics.

[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.

Shelf Awareness, an e-newsletter for booksellers and librarians, has a regular author interview called Book Brahmin (kinda like the questionnaire on Inside the Actors Studio, but less snooty). One of my favorite questions is “Book You’ve Faked Reading.” Author Susan Wiggs copped to lying about reading Proust’s Swann’s Way in French, while librarian Vicki Myron (writer of Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World) admitted that she faked reading Shakespeare.

One recent survey in Britain found that two out of three people lied about reading (Orwell’s 1984 was fibbed about most often). The book I faked reading was Nausea by John-Paul Sartre. I was taking a 20th-century European Lit class in college and trying to impress the graduate assistant (it didn’t work). So what are the books you’ve faked reading?

The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear

I think that this one of the best mystery series that I’ve read in a long time. Taking place in post WWI England, the author clearly does her research. There is a strong sense of time, location, social tone and historical accuracy.

A nurse during the war, Maisie now has her own business. After years of study and apprenticeship, she works as a psychologist and private investigator. This might seem like an unusual profession, but it really makes interesting reading. Maisie is a complex, vulnerable, independent, and smart character. I find her very refreshing.

Here is a list of the titles, in case you want to read (or listen) in order. I started in the middle and then went back to catch the ones that I missed. That worked out OK.

Maisie Dobbs: A Novel, audiobook

Birds of a Feather: A Novel, audiobook

Pardonable Lies: A Maisie Dobbs Novel, audiobook (includes a bonus author interview)

Messenger of Truth: A Maisie Dobbs Novel, audiobook (includes an bonus author interview)

An Incomplete Revenge: A Maisie Dobbs Novel, audiobook

Among the Mad: A Maisie Dobbs Novel, audiobook

For more info, check out our Mystery Authors You May Have Missed profile.

Do you tend to read only one kind of fiction–mysteries, sci-fi, or literary fiction, for example? Well, I go mostly for literary fiction (where the writing itself is the strong focus, as opposed to plot), and some mysteries. But what I’ve discovered, even sticking to the “regular fiction” shelves, is that some of the best books actually blend genres. One of my new favorite authors is Kate Atkinson, who, in her Jackson Brodie books, does a fabulous job of blending lit fic and mystery (with lots of lol humor). Another example of successful blending, this time of lit fic and fantasy, is The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. There are many many more examples, all of which add up to the fact that fiction can be whatever it wants to be. How did Neil Gaiman describe his novel Anansi Boys? “If you have to classify it, it’s probably a magical-horror-thriller-ghost-romantic-comedy-family-epic.” Sounds good!

If you’re a fan of Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (and really, who isn’t?), break out the red bush tea and circle March 29 on your calendar. That evening HBO premieres a new television series, filmed entirely on location in Botswana, that’s based on McCall Smith’s beloved novels.

“Traditionally built” R&B singer Jill Scott stars as the redoutable Mma Ramotswe, while Anika Noni Rose of Dreamgirls plays bespectacled secretary Mma Makutsi. The first two episodes of the show were directed by the late Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, Cold Mountain). Here’s a preview:

Recently Library staff was asked to list five favorite books that they read during the year 2008. Here is the Annual Picks page. Next there was the challenge to write about what we selected. So here it goes.

I decided to list relatively recent books. There are so many wonderful books that I listened to (or read) during the year, that it is truly difficult to highlight only five. A little bit about my taste – I like & enjoy fluffy, light, fun books. Long gone are my days of reading serious, critically acclaimed fiction or nonfiction for pleasure. It’s a good thing that there are several staff members who listed those types of books. The reputation of the intellectual Skokie Public Library worker and selective reading tendencies stays in tact.

A few honorable mentions and I can’t give good reasons why these did not make my top selections.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn, audiobook

If you like Jane Austen, give this one a try. The romance is sweet and amusing.

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn, audiobook

This is the sequel and companion to The Lost Duke of Wyndham. It tells another side of the love story, so to speak.

Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva, audiobook

Gabriel Allon is one of my favorite fictional characters. He’s a part-time art restorer and part-time Israeli secret service agent/assassin – how wonderfully complex.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, audiobook

It’s love among the young vampires, werewolves and teenage humans. Twilight started the craze! Check out the entire series (#2 New Moon, #3 Eclipse, #4 Breaking Dawn; New Moon audiobook, Eclipse audiobook, Breaking Dawn audiobook).

Here are the titles that I submitted:

The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang, audiobook

This book was so interesting – the mystery element, the place, the setting, the antique aspect, the contemporary historical background, etc. I was quickly engaged and rooted for the main character throughout the entire book. I hope more books by Liang are translated into English. I am eager to know what else is in store for the intrepid PI, Mei Wang.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer, audiobook

Wow. I really got involved, as I was listening to this over the summer. I wrote on my Facebook/Visual Bookshelf page, “It probably will be in my year end top ten.” Many months later, I still thought that it was a great “read.” I liked the premise, the characters’ dilemmas, the long dialogues, and the ending.

The Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters, audiobook

In a way, this is a comfort book for Elizabeth Peters’ fans. It’s nice to have Vicky Bliss back after such a long absence. Also, the Peabody/Emerson connection to John Tregarth (as suspected) is finally confirmed. And Schmidt … he is an endearing character. He really has his day!

The Chaos King (and the first installment: The Wall and the Wing) by Laura Ruby, eAudiobook

I have very happy memories listening to these books – laughing out loud and thinking that they were so clever. Yeah the books are written for kids, but there are lots of funny pop culture references that hit the mark. I hope the author re-visits this amusing world where strange creatures lurk in the subway and all punk rockers are named either Sid or Nancy.

(BTW, if you want to listen to these on CD, both audiobooks are available via Interlibrary Loan.)

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig, audiobook

I’m a sucker for a well-written, comedic, historical, suspenseful romance. Plus I’ve been intrigued by the scarlet pimpernel story since I was a little kid. This is a bit of a no-brainer for me in regards to picking it as a favorite; the Pink Carnation series has me hooked.

The Mystery Writers of America have announced the nominees for the 2009 Edgar Awards, honoring the best mysteries of the past year. (The announcement came on the 200th anniversary of the birth of the award’s namesake, Edgar Allan Poe.) The winners won’t be announced until late April, so here’s your chance to check out some of the contenders and select your favorites.

2009 Edgar Award Nominees for Best Novel

Missing by Karin Alvtegen
Blue Heaven by C.J. Box
Sins of the Assassin by Robert Ferrigno
The Price of Blood by Declan Hughes
The Night Following by Morag Joss
Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

As the title of this entry states it is a sad day for those who have enjoyed  the universal genius that is Rumpole.

I loved watching and reading Rumpole and his defense of the indefensible, his love of terrible food, his fear of his wife, and his extreme Britishness.

If you  think you might like hilarious stories about an English barrister give Sir John Mortimer’s Rumpole a try.