Maurice Sendak, 1928-2012

Just heard that "Where the Wild Things Are" author Maurice Sendak died early this morning.  If you would like to know more about this iconic writer and illustrator, the library has several nonfiction titles that may interest you.

* Angels and Wild Things: The Archetypal Poetics of Maurice Sendak
* The Art of Maurice Sendak: 1980 to the Present
* Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak (DVD)

April can be a taxing month

Tax day has finally come and gone, and I'll bet a lot of us could use a good laugh.  A new book just arrived at the library, and I'm pretty sure it has the potential to tickle a funny bone here and there.  If you're in the market for a giggle or guffaw, check out The 50 Funniest American Writers: An Anthology of Humor from Mark Twain to the Onion edited by Andy Borowitz.  Mr. Borowitz is a comedian and satirist which means he probably knows a thing or two about humor.

It's National Library Week

If you've ever had an interest in the mysterious world of librarianship, this week would be a good time to delve into books about, well, books, and how and why they're organized the way they are in most public libraries.  This information is not classified!  You can read freely about it in Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey.  The DDC, or Dewey Decimal Classification system, was created by good ol' Melvil, who happened to be quite a character.

Perhaps reading about a classification system is not your idea of a good time, but being creative with the books you own really "knocks your shelves down."  Well, fear not, there is a perfect book for you: Decorating with Books by Marie Proeller Hueston.  Let's face it: a home really isn't a home without books.  Instead of leaving them in piles by your bedside, or covering every inch of flat surface with cherished titles, learn how to treat them like family by giving them their own space.  Unlike cats and dogs, you don't have to feed them, but an occasional dusting will tickle their spines, and cracking them open once in a while positively makes their pages curl. 

"Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits" - Carl Sandburg

April is National Poetry Month, and several new titles have been recently added to the collection.  If you love poetry, be sure to check out the poetry section on the 5th floor of the Vancouver Community Library.  They have a broad collection, sure to satisfy your poetic sensibilities.

This Morning: Poems - Michael Ryan

Useless Landscape, or a Guide for Boys: Poems - Douglas A. Powell

Spring has sprung - a leak?

Is someone out there doing the snow dance?  If so, maybe it's time to put your snow shoes away and start doing a sun jig.  Seriously, we could use a dose of sunny spring weather.  On that note, I would like to offer a book that is super solar-friendly in the hopes that Mother Nature will add it to her reading list.  The Sun's Heartbeat: And Other Stories From the Life of the Star That Powers Our Planet by Bob Berman is all about the orange orb, and sun worshippers everywhere will find plenty of intriguing information about their favorite star.     

Me, John Carter...you, wanna go to Mars?

The new Disney film "John Carter" is largely based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' "A Princess of Mars."  If you don't recognize Burroughs' name right away, he is best known for writing the Tarzan books.  We have both the book and the CD of the Princess book, but we're ordering more copies as the movie will probably increase demand.

Moving on from Harry Potter

Lots of buzz right now about J.K. Rowling's announcement that she's working on a novel for adults.  No title or pub date yet, but there is speculation that it will be a crime novel.  And Rowling recently tweeted that it would be coming out later this year.  I'll be curious to see how this all turns out.

Jeffrey Zaslow

I just read that Jeffrey Zaslow was killed in a car accident last week.  If the name isn't familiar to you, he was well known for his columns in the Wall Street Journal, but in recent years he was also known for his books.  In addition to writing two nonfiction titles, which I'll mention in a little bit, he co-authored several three best-selling books: The Last Lecture (with Randy Pausch), Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters (with pilot Captain "Sully" Sullenberger), and most recently, with Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope.

Mr. Zaslow was often able to find unique, personal stories that needed to be shared with the world.  Pausch, Sullenberger, and Giffords are perfect examples of ordinary people challenged with life-altering experiences, and because of their books we have a better understanding of how extraordinary events can impact daily life.

The two titles that Jeffrey authored himself focus on subjects that at first glance might seem too commonplace for fascinating reading: female friendship and marriage.  It is through his wonderful writing that the reader feels connections with people who could be our next door neighbors.  The book about marriage was just published, and while I am sad that this is his last book, I am so glad that one more book is out there for readers to enjoy.

* The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship (2009)
* The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters (2012) 

She blinded me with science!

We just received an interesting grouping of science books which will be heading to a shelf near you very soon.  If you're a science buff - or just want to dip your toes in the H2O (so to speak) - here are some good choices:

* Alone in the Universe: Why Our Planet is Unique - John R. Gribbin
* The Case of the Poisonous Socks: Tales From Chemistry - Willliam H. Brock
* How to Build a Time Machine: The Real Science of Time Travel - Brian Clegg
* Why Can't Elephants Jump?: And 113 Other Tantalizing Science Questions Answered

Dangerous footwear, time machines, non-jumping elephants - who can pass up such intriguing titles?

It's been a long time

My apologies for the dry spell with this blog.  What with the holidays, moving to a different work location, and dislocating a finger, it's been a wild and woolly ride since November!  Must say I'm rather glad to start a new year...

All of the recent change in my life has me thinking that maybe I need a little guidance in how to gracefully accept new experiences that aren't necessarily positive ones (graceful is the operative word here since I ungracefully fell in a parking lot and ended up changing the direction of my finger...).  One title that has caught my eye is Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by brothers Chip and Dan Heath.  Their words of wisdom can apply to work and personal time, and that's exactly what I need.

I hope that 2012 proves to be a good year for all of us, but if change is getting you down already, give this book a try.