August 2008 - Posts
Do you prefer to read about facts rather than fiction? New at the library is a book by Calgary Public 
Library staff member Betsy Fraser featuring hundreds of great reads for teens who are interested in real-life stories. Reality Rules! A Guide to Teen Nonfiction Reading Interest organizes exeptional nonfiction books into specific genres and reading interests that teens enjoy--from true adventure, sports and life stories, and do-it-yourself.
More than 500 titles are described, with notes on classics, award-winners and titles that especially appeal to boys and to reluctant readers or are appropriate for book groups.
It's real, it's radical, and it rocks!
Weighing just over 2 kilograms and containing 960 pages, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die is by itself a must read!
This elegant book is arranged chronologically from the pre 1700s through to today. The 100 contributors present an eclectic selection of what they consider to be the best novels from the past and present, with a summary of why each title is compelling. This is a great resource for book club leaders looking for fresh material.
Lavishly illustrated with drawings and photographs, including author photos or colour pictures of the book covers, and printed on quality paper, this book is a treasure--a book to borrow again and again and handy at all times!
Ask for it for Christmas or your birthday, or better yet, sign it out from your local branch of the Calgary Public Library today!
Science Fiction is a genre with an incredible amount of variety and depth that goes way beyond the Star Trek and Tekk War series. Check out the following interesting and thought-prokoving science fiction novels.
Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sowe: Lauren Olamina, a black teenager, grew up in a 21st-century America that was tearing itself apart. Global warming, massive unemployment, gang warfare and corporate greed combined to break down society in general and her impoverished southern California neighborhood in. When her relatively safe neighborhood enclave is inevitably destroyed, along with her family and dreams for the future, Lauren grabs a backpack full of supplies and begins a journey north.
Robert Charles Wilson, Spin: One summer night the stars abruptly blink out. Three young people are lying on the grass behind a house. They react, like the rest of the country, with a variety of emotions, and everyone wonders if the sun will come up.
Mary Doria Russell, The Sparrow: The Catholic Church sends a group of scientists and one priest to make first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization. One man returns with a horrifying story of how their best intentions radically changed that civilization.
I, like many readers, am hopelessly addicted to reading book reviews. I've recently discovered a great website that allows you to search hundreds of reviews at a time and uses an easy to understand rating system.
Metacritic (http://www.metacritic.com/books) is a free web resource that collects reviews of movies, CDs, video games, and, as of 2004, books. The site is laid out in an easy-to-read style, and even a quick glance can tell you whether critics thought a book was any good. Another helpful feature is that each review is summarized by a one sentence quote, so it's not necessary to read entire reviews. If a review looks interesting, a link to its full text is provided. Metacritic Books is a quick, reliable source for informed opinions on books across genres. Check it out!
