Fridays Finds--Library Visits

Recently I spent a few weeks in Ireland and had the chance to revisit a favorite spot on the Trinity College campus.  In Dublin's city centre sits the Old Library, also known as The Long Room, which most tourists happen upon after visiting the Book of Kells. 

The Long Room contains hundreds of thousands of Trinity College Library's oldest books and other treasures housed in two-story floor to ceiling bookshelves.  Marble busts sit at the end of each bookcase like sentinels, giving the room a scholarly and historical feel.  Circular staircases between the floors add to the architectural beauty.  The room is stunning, as you can see from the photo below.

The Long Room, Trinity College, Dublin.  Photo Source:  www.tcd.ie

For me, no trip to Dublin is complete without visiting this cultural space.  I am drawn to its beauty time and time again.  Learn more about The Long Room via this link:  Trinity College Library

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Friday Finds--Library Visits was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.blogspot.com.  This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Thursday Thoughts--A Different Kind of Book List

                              
With the year winding down, I thought I might post a best books of 2012 list today. Such lists are easy enough to find.  But then I stumbled upon a more interesting type of list to share instead.  Book publishing website GalleyCat has gathered a collection of what it considers some of the most overlooked books of 2012, together with free samples of each book.

Here's the overlooked book list. 

Enjoy!

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Thursday Thoughts--A Different Kind of Book List was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.blogspot.com.  This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Waiting on Wednesday--Seduction

The Waiting on Wednesday concept is a weekly feature of the Breaking the Spine blog.  It's a great way to highlight a forthcoming title that I am (not so) patiently waiting for.

This week's anticipated book is:  

                                                  Seduction: A Novel of Suspense by M.J. Rose

Publication Date:  May 7, 2013
Publisher:  Atria Books
Preorder now from online and bricks and mortar bookstores

Overview from barnesandnoble.com:

From the author of The Book of Lost Fragrances comes a haunting novel about a grieving woman who discovers the lost journal of novelist Victor Hugo, awakening a mystery that spans centuries.

In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo’s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, Hugo began participating in hundreds of séances to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with the likes of Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus—and even the Devil himself. Hugo’s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it was believed.

Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L’Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey—where Hugo conducted the séances—hoping to uncover a secret about the island’s Celtic roots. But the man who’s invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, has hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different—Hugo’s lost conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher.

What follows is an intricately plotted and atmospheric tale of suspense with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart, by one of America’s most gifted and imaginative novelists.

My thoughts:  M.J. Rose is a talented storyteller who masterfully weaves rich, fascinating historical research into inventive plots that transport readers into thrilling adventures.  I loved The Book of Lost Fragrances and look forward to immersing myself in another M.J. Rose novel.

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Waiting on Wednesday--Seduction was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.blogspot.com.  This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Gift Books for Children

                                                   
Have you started your holiday shopping yet?  If you have any children on your gift list, it can be difficult to select the correct size and style of clothing or the most popular toy.  Books are a great choice for kids because they bring hours of entertainment and foster a lifelong love of reading.  And take note, last minute shoppers: stores display them in a well-defined area and books are easy to gift wrap!

Here are a few lists of suggested titles:

From New York City's Books of Wonder

From Brooklyn's Greenlight Bookstore

From The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal

Give a book!

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Gift Books for Children was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.blogspot.com.  This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Thrilling Reads

                                   

Do you enjoy reading thrillers?  If you do, there's a free monthly webzine called The Big Thrill that you should check out.  Each issue delivered to your email inbox features news and information about recently released thrillers in print and electronic format, comprehensive articles, and author interviews.  There's also an opportunity to win signed copies of first edition books.

But don't let the name mislead you.  Under the latest books banner on The Big Thrill website, you will find news and details about books in other genres:  romantic suspense, paranormal, crime fiction, horror, mystery, cozy mystery, young adult, true crime, nonfiction, and anthology.

The current webzine issue was recently posted.  You can view it and sign up for automatic delivery of future issues by clicking this link: The Big Thrill December issue

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Thrilling Reads was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.blogspot.com.  This post cannot be republished without express written consent.
 

Sunday Spotlight--NYS Writers Hall of Fame

Two years ago, New York State created special ways to recognize and honor the talented cadre of writers with New York connections.  Thus, in April 2010, the Empire State Book Festival was born; and in collaboration with the Empire State Center for the Book, the New York State Writers Hall of Fame was established.  The book festival and hall of fame inductions have become popular annual celebrations in the state capital of Albany.

The Hall of Fame members are a veritable who's who of the literary world.  The 2012 group includes living authors Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, Pete Hamill, and E.L. Doctorow, as well as deceased writers Kurt Vonnegut, Richard Wright, Edna Ferber, Henry James, Mary McCarthy, Marianne Moore, John Cheever, Washington Irving, Barbara Tuchman, and Hart Crane.  Madeleine L'Engle, who was mentioned in my November 29 blog post, is a 2011 inductee.

These hall of famers are a wonderful representation of New York's rich literary history.  The lists of inaugural 2010 inductees and the class of 2011 are accessible via this link:  NYS Writers Hall of Fame Members

How many of these authors are you familiar with?

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Sunday Spotlight--NYS Writers Hall of Fame was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.blogspot.com. This post cannot be republished without express written consent.

Saturday Short--Quote of the Day

"Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)

See this and more quotes on The Quotations Page

Catherine

Follow me on Twitter: @bookclubreader

Saturday Shorts--Quote of the Day was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.blogspot.com.  This post cannot be republished without express written consent.